Flash Flood — Jackson, West Virginia

1998-06-28 to 1998-06-29 · near Countywide, Jackson, West Virginia

Wider weather episode

Three consecutive nights of thunderstorms left western and northern counties with wind damage and flooding. The first night was from Friday evening, the 26th, into early Saturday morning, the 27th. The convection on the second and third nights was further south than the first night, hitting the Parkersburg to Charleston corridor the hardest. Total rains were 6 to 10 inches across portions of Wood, Jackson, and northern Kanawha Counties, with 5 inches further northeast, into the Middle Island Creek basin. The heaviest rain rates were with the second night of convection from late Saturday night. the 27th, into Sunday morning, the 28th. The cloudbursts swept southeast from eastern Ohio, hitting Jackson, southern Roane, and northern Kanawha before dawn on Sunday. Ripley of Jackson County measured 6.8 inches in the 4 hours from 0430 to 0830E.Serious flash flooding occurred. Two people were killed in Kanawha County, along Little Sandy Creek in the Frame vicinity. A woman tried to carry her 4 month old baby out of a flooded mobile home. The baby was swept out of her arms. An elderly blind man was swept off his front porch by the rising water, after a failed attempt by 4 men to carry the 200 pound man across a strong current. Several private bridges and a small 100 year old church were swept away along the Little Sandy Creek basin. Other nearby creeks had flooding also, such as Jordan Creek near Falling Rock.A federal disaster declaration for individual and public assistance was declared for 15 counties in West Virginia, 14 of which were in this section of the state. They included, Kanawha, Clay, Roane, Jackson, Braxton, Calhoun, Wirt, Gilmer, Wood, Pleasants, Ritchie, Doddridge, Lewis, and Taylor. About 240 dwellings were destroyed, the most being from Wood, Kanawha, Roane, and Jackson Counties. Nearly 500 homes had major damage, the most from Kanawha and Ritchie counties. Around 100 dwelling had minor water damage. These figures included mobile homes, many of which were located in areas most susceptible to stream flooding. In Jackson County, the Northern Mobile Home Park, in the northern sections of Ripley, sat at the junction of Syramore Creek with its Left Fork. About 12 mobile homes were washed into the creek just after dawn on the 28th. The trailers were smashed against the Route 21 bridge, about 50 yards down the stream. All total, 21 of the 23 trailers at this mobile home park were destroyed. Luckily, everyone escaped uninjured. One resident found only one item from their destroyed mobile home. It was a book, describing the West Virginia flood of 1985. Near Interstate 77, east of Ravenswood, Straight Fork heavily damaged Abels Mobile Home Park. Along the Left Fork of Sandy Creek, the Dewey Thomas Hill Bridge was destroyed. The 100 year old steel bridge washed into the stream, leaving only its concrete supports. Further down the creek near Odaville, the Sarvis Fork Covered Bridge passed the test of time. The high water mark was some 3 to 4 feet on the upstream outer wooden shell. This bridge survived. It was built around 1889. The Lockhart Church, near the Route 21 and Medina Road intersection, had 4.5 to 5 feet of water inside. The crest was even over the podium that was on the stage. Local lifelong residents of the upper reaches of the Left Fork of Sandy Creek said it was the highest water levels they have ever seen. One man was 89 years old. Another man had accounts passed down to him of the famous 1889 cloudburst. He said the water was even higher in 1889. In Wood County, Neal Run destroyed about 50 mobile homes in 2 trailer parks in South Parkersburg on the morning of the 28th. One resident said, "It was unreal how fast the water came up." Little Tygart Creek caused severe flooding just south of Mineralwells, including the Lincolnshire development and Slate Creek Village. Along Lee Creek, a mobile home with 2 occupants was washed downstream, until becoming lodged in trees. The occupants escaped uninjured. Stillwell and Pond Creeks also had significant flooding in Wood County.Besides the fatal flash flood along Little Sandy Creek in Kanawha County, the small streams feeding the Pocatalico River near Sissonville flooded on Sunday morning, the 28th. People were rescued by boat. This included the Haines Branch region. The river at Sissonville rose some 25 feet between 1100E and 1500E on the 28th from the rains early Sunday morning. As the small streams were starting to recede, and the Pocatalico River was starting to crest out, the third night of convection started during Sunday evening, the 28th. The rain maximum this third night was in southern Roane to southern Jackson County. This caused more small stream flooding and resulted in a record crest of 35.5 feet on the Pocatalico River around 1000E on Monday the 29th. The Sissonville Middle School had 2 feet of water in the library. In Ritchie County, after the initial flash flood near Cairo Friday night, more flash flooding occurred. Bunnell Run flooded Pennsboro, about 50 people had to be evacuated. Two manufactured homes were destroyed, and 6 homes had major damage in Pennsboro. One resident said, "It has never been like this. My whole house was flooded. Everything I have is ruined." The Pennsboro Fire Chief said, "There was no time to do anything. Some of my men didn't even make it out of their homes when the water hit. " A Pontiac car dealership in Pennsboro had several cars flooded.In Roane County, most of the severe flooding was from the Cicerone-Kettle area on toward Cotton. One house on Green Creek was swept away, prompting the emergency director to say, "It must have been some force, because it took everything and there was nothing left but the ground."In Gilmer County, Normantown had homes and businesses flooded by Steer Creek. Private bridges were destroyed. In Wirt County, a small bridge was washed out near Elizabeth.In Doddridge and Pleasant County, after the initial small stream flooding, high water lingered along the Middle Island Creek. People were evacuated from Arvilla of Pleasants County. The Pricetown firehouse was flooded by Polk Creek. Prolong power outages occurred in Wirt, Doddridge, Tyler, Pleasants, Ritchie, and Pocahontas Counties. In the aftermath of the small stream flooding, only minor river flooding occurred. The West Fork River crested about 3 to 4 feet above flood stage on the forecast point near Clarksburg. The level was 16.5 feet. Flooding was confined to streets. On the Ohio River, a crest at or just over flood stage occurred from near Ravenswood on through Point Pleasant.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5659909. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.