Flash Flood — Kanawha, West Virginia

2000-02-18 to 2000-02-19 · near Sissonville, Kanawha, West Virginia

Wider weather episode

A warm front surged north during the morning of Friday the 18th, dropping a half inch to an inch of rain. Meanwhile, low pressure extended from southern Ohio on down the entire length of the Ohio River during that afternoon. A southerly wind at the surface, with dew points in the 55 to 60 degree range, fed moisture north from Tennessee and Kentucky. This moisture was advected into the boundary along the Ohio River. Additional rains sank south into western and central West Virginia during the afternoon of the 18th, reaching the Charleston to Sutton corridor around 1500E. The southern edge of the rain lifted a bit further north during the early evening hours, temporarily ending the rain around Charleston and Huntington. Thunderstorms formed during the evening of the 18th, then pressed south again, as the low pressure passed just to the north of the affected area. Rains diminished from west to east between 2000E on the 18th to 0400E on the 19th. Rain amounts of 2 to 4 inches in 18 hours was common from a Huntington-Charleston-Elkins line on northwest . An automated rain gauge near Beaver Run In Upshur County reported 4.6 inches. In West Virginia, a total of 24 counties were under a state of emergency declared by Governor Underwood, 19 of which fell within this division of the state. Later, on the 28th, President Clinton declared a federal disaster declaration for 20 counties, 17 of which are within this section of West Virginia. The 17 counties included Barbour, Braxton, Cabell, Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison, Jackson, Kanawha, Lewis, Mason, Putnam, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Upshur, and Wirt. National Guard support reached a peak of about 250 troops in the flood clean-up efforts. The preliminary damage assessment included 35 homes or mobile homes destroyed in the 17 counties. A total of 350 home, mobile homes, and businesses sustained major damage. Private bridges over the small streams were damaged. Seventeen of these bridges were damaged in Kanawha County, 16 in Calhoun County, and 12 in Braxton County. A failed rescue along Kanawha Two Mile Creek, just outside the city limits of Charleston, resulted in 3 fatalities around 1845 to 1900E on the 18th. The incident occurred at a Rich Oil gas station along a flood prone section of Route 21. Five employees of the gas station and small store were loaded into a zodiac raft by 2 firefighters, in an attempt to ferry them to safety. The water was 2 to 3 feet around the gas station. The raft overturned, spilling the occupants into the water. None of the store employees were outfitted with floatation life jackets during the rescue attempt. The body of a 53 year old woman was found in a nearby tree that night. The body of a 52 year old man was discovered the next day in the stream. The 56 year old female manager was not found until around 1300E on Sunday the 20th. Her body had traveled some 140 miles, past 3 locks and dams, and was discovered in the Ohio River near Wheelersburg of Scioto County, Ohio. A few days later, 2 teenage boys found her purse in a tree along Kanawha Two Mile. The purse contained $6,000 from the store. In this region of Kanawha County, Bonham and Tyler Mountain Elementary Schools received water damage. In Ritchie County, most of the village of Cairo had been evacuated when flood waters rushed over the top of a temporary cofferdam, near North Bend State Park. Homes and businesses in the community were flooded. A 100 year old metal walking bridge over the North Branch of the Hughes River was washed away. The community was completely cut off for 24 hours. The sewage plants at Ellenboro and Cairo sustained damage.In Gilmer County, damage was from both small stream and river flooding. In Roane County, the community of Reedy was hit hard, by the forks of Reedy Creek. Water was higher than in March of 1997 and January of 1999. A few homes had 1 to 2 feet of water in the living room. Water made its way into the city building, the water-works office, the community center, the senior center, the post office, and the fire department. Both stores in the community and the 3 churches were also affected by the high water.In Jackson County, the region around Sandyville, Liverpool, LeRoy, Lockhart, and Garfield were hardest hit. One 80 year old resident near Liverpool said, "I've lived here all my life. I've never seen the water here this high." The cooperative observer along Lockhart Fork reported 3.57 inches of rain. The small stream of Lockhart Fork was about 6 inches lower than the crest in June, 1998. In Cabell County, the Enslow Park Blvd, Donald Ave section of Huntington, near Ritter Park was flooded by Fourpole Creek. Water was 3 to 4 feet deep in the streets. The city evacuated 54 homes. Parked vehicles were flooded. Middle Island Creek flooded portions of Doddridge, Tyler, and Pleasants County. Governor Underwood was stranded on his Tyler County farm by the flooded secondary roads. A helicopter had to pick the governor up at his farm, so he could take a tour of the damage. River flooding followed the flash flooding along the small streams. The most significant river flooding was along the upper reaches of the Little Kanawha River. The river crested at 31.3 feet at Glenville around 1200E on the 19th, more than 8 feet over flood stage. Several businesses, including the 4 grocery stores, were affected by the high water. It was the sixth highest crest on record at Glenville. Further down the river, Grantsville of Calhoun County crested at 38.8 feet around 1700E on the 19th, not quite 3 feet above flood stage. Only minor river flooding occurred along the lower reaches of the Little Kanawha, including the Happy Valley region of Wood County. The Tygart Valley River crested at 23.7 feet at Philippi around 1000E on the 19th. Flood stage is 17 feet there. Belington crested about 3 feet over flood stage at 17.1 feet around 1200E. On the West Fork River near Clarksburg, the crest was 17.95 feet around 1200E on the 19th, almost 5 feet about the flood stage.The Buckhannon River in the community of Buckhannon crested at 26.2 feet around 1700E on the 19th. Flood stage at Buckhannon is 23 feet. Finally the mainstem of the Ohio River below Parkersburg saw minor flooding from the 19th into the 21st. The crest at Point Pleasant was 42.1 feet around 0900E on the 21st. Flood stage is 40 feet. At Huntington the crest was 50.3 feet around 1000E on the 21st. Flood stage at Huntington is 50 feet.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5128826. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.