Flash Flood — Logan, West Virginia

1996-05-15 to 1996-05-16 · near Countywide, Logan, West Virginia

Wider weather episode

Training showers and thunderstorms moved southeast acrosssouthern West Virginia overnight, along a warm frontalboundary. A rainfall of 2.5 to 3.5 inches was common inin 6 hours. Pineville and Mullens of Wyoming Countyhad 3.6 inches, Elkhorn of McDowell County had 3.2 inches,and Branchland of Lincoln County had 3.0 inches. Around400 people were evacuated in Logan County, about 100 inBoone County, and about 40 residents in Wayne County.A 57 year old woman from Whitman of Logan County diedwhen she tried to evacuate her home around 0015 EST on the16th. She tried to wade through the flood waters from Whitman Creek, but drowned. Several other people were rescued whenstranded by the rapid rise on these small creeks. Most damage across southern West Virginia was caused bythe flood waters from small streams and creeks, even thoughboth the Tug Fork River and the Guyandotte River crestedabove flood stage. The worst damage seemed to be concentratedalong Island Creek in southern Logan County. Numerous homes,businesses, and roads were damaged by that stream. A cardealership in Wilkinson had its inventory of cars andtrucks flooded, along with its building. Residents along Whitman Creek, Sandlick Creek in the Bruno vicinity, and the Holdenarea of Logan County also received significant damage. Over100 National Guard troops removed around 3,000 tons offlood damage debris during the cleanup in Logan County. In Boone County, the Pond and West Forks, plus the LittleCoal River, flooded residents and roads. In McDowell County,Elkhorn Creek heavily damaged areas around Northfork andKeystone. In Wayne County, it was Twelvepole Creek thatcaused the most flood problems.President Clinton delcared Boone, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell,Mingo, Raleigh, Wayne, and Wyoming Counties a federaldisaster area. The aftermath of the small stream flooding, causedthe Guyandotte River to crest at 25.7 feet in Logan,and 32.7 feet at Branchland. This was the highest levelsince January, 1979. The lake elevation at the R.D. Bailey Dam reached its second highest pool of 1098.4 feet on the 18th.On the Tug Fork River, Matewan crested at 31.4 feet, Williamson reached 33.5 feet, and Kermit peaked at 39.8 feet.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5555480. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.