Flood — Pocahontas, West Virginia

2021-03-01 · near Marlinton, Pocahontas, West Virginia

Event narrative

Just after sunrise on the 1st, the Greenbrier River at Marlinton rose above its bankfull level of 10 feet. The river crested at 10.38 feet just before noon and then returned to its banks early in the afternoon. While above its bankfull level, the river caused flooding of low lying areas that run along the river and water also spilled onto 1st and 2nd Avenues in the town of Marlinton.

Wider weather episode

Over 4 inches of rain fell across West Virginia from the final few days of February through the morning of Monday, March 1st. Multiple disturbances passed through the state during this time and caused periods of heavy rain. The most rain from this event fell south of the I-64 corridor, but the entire state observed at least 1 to 2 inches of rain over the span of four days. This contributed to notable flooding across West Virginia as local creeks rose out of their banks and spilled onto local roadways. Moderate river flooding took place during the first few days of March, with some river gages recording historic crests, including the Coal, Elk, and Tug Fork Rivers.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (38.2227, -80.1022)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 948530. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.