Flood — Kanawha, West Virginia

2003-11-12 · Kanawha, West Virginia

Wider weather episode

Rains of 2.5 to 4.75 inches fell from 2200E on the 11th through 1900E on the 12th. Repetitive showers formed, as dew points of 60 to 65 degrees fed the system from Kentucky. The heaviest rain rates came toward the end of this prolong period, mainly from 1530E to 1730E, with rates peaking around an inch per hour. South of the training showers, across Logan and Mingo Counties, the heavy rain was more sudden, the result of the last shot of enhanced rain during the late afternoon. The heaviest rain totals ran west to east, from Wayne County and southern Cabell County, through northern Lincoln County, central Kanawha County, southern Clay County, and into central Nicholas County. Branchland's rain total was 4.7 inches. Hamlin measured 4.4 inches. The National Weather Service office at Ruthdale had 4.1 inches. Mount Nebo measured 3.8 inches. The 3.66 inches at Charleston was the 5th heaviest 24 hour total on record, for any month of the year. Richwood observed 3.4 inches. Clendenin and Clay both measured around 3.1 inches. Severe flooding occurred along streams feeding into the Mud River in Lincoln County, including the Straight Fork. Homes and businesses around Hamlin were also flooded. Damage assessment In Lincoln County counted 35 homes destroyed, 80 with major damage, and 80 with minor damage. The Griffithsville Elementary School was flooded and sustained heavy damage. It was closed and will not likely reopen. Duval High School had minor damage. There were about 20 swift water rescues in the Duval area. One rescue was an unusual example. An Army National Guard black hawk helicopter was in the air, practicing night rescues near Parkersburg. When the request came in for help, the crew raced 65 miles south to Lincoln County and rescued 3 people from a flooded truck. The Griffithsville Post Office had several feet of water inside.In Kanawha County, one of the hardest hit drainages was Davis Creek, which flows from Kanawha State Forest through Loudendale to South Charleston. The main branch of Davis Creek, plus its Middle Fork were hit harder, compared to its Trace Fork. One Loudendale resident said, "It's flooded, but never this bad." Some homes had 3 feet of water inside. A 62 year old male drove into the flooded creek around 2000E on the 12th. Apparently, he had stopped his car for about 5 minutes in the road, since the local fire department had the road barricaded. Then, it appeared the man was going to turn around in a parking lot, but instead drove between a house and a small store, and into the swollen creek. His body was recovered the next day, inside the vehicle, about a miles down the stream. Two South Charleston firefighters rescued a woman along Davis Creek. One firefighter said, "She was hanging onto a tree limb. She was hanging on for dear life. The only thing sticking out of the water was her head and her arm." Other flooded areas in Kanawha County included Campbells Creek, Georges Creek at Malden, Witcher Creek and Winifrede hollow, plus the Rabol-Broundland-Olcott Roads. Inside the city limits of Charleston, a woman was rescued after having her body pinned by flood waters against the lip of a culvert. This occurred along Lick Branch and South Ruffner Road. The city emergency director described the street as a "rushing river." In Kanawha County, 44 homes were destroyed, 150 had major damage, and 88 homes had minor damage. Several private bridges were also destroyed.The crest on the Mud River in Cabell County occurred around 1300E on the 13th, flooding homes and businesses in Milton. Milton Middle School was damaged. Damage assessment counted 8 homes destroyed with major damage to 52 and minor damage to 56 dwellings. Further east, in Webster and Nicholas Counties, numerous roads were flooded, but damage to homes was less. Yet, this rain event would set up the town of Richwood and much of this area, for more severe flooding a week later.In Wayne County, most of the damage was in the Dunlow area. In Logan County, Garrett Fork and the Sharples area flooded. In Mingo County, the East Fork of Twelvepole Creek saw flooding. Besides the flood on the Mud River, the Coal and Elk Rivers saw minor flooding. Crests on the Elk and Coal Rivers would be even higher the following week.This event initiated a federal disaster. See FEMA disaster #1500. More counties would be added to the declaration, after the flooding on the 19th into the 20th.

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Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5330538. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.