Flood — Logan, West Virginia

2001-05-18 · near Robinette, Logan, West Virginia

Event narrative

A family of 4 crossed a swollen Buffalo Creek. They were driving through the stream bed in their pickup truck. The stream was running well above normal from the overnight rains, but was not in flood. Their pickup truck rolled over several times, while moving about 30 yards down the creek. The mother and the 7 year old son were able to get out, with the aid of a passerby. The father and daughter were not seen. The body of the 6 year old girl was found on the 19th. The father's body was found a month later, about 18 miles down stream, in the Guyandotte River in Logan.

Wider weather episode

A rotating supercell developed in southeast Ohio, then moved across Mason and Jackson counties. The large hail damaged houses and vehicles. In its wake, a larger complex of thunderstorms moved through. The associated rain resulted in flash flooding over saturated soils in southwest West Virginia. The Coal River at Tornado in Kanawha County rose to around its 25 feet flood stage during the predawn of the 19th. The Kanawha River at Charleston crested around 22.5 feet, or about three-quarter bankfull , during the afternoon of the 19th.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (38.6833, -81.5333)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5245462. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.