Flood — Pocahontas, West Virginia

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

Event narrative

Knapps Creek at Huntersville rose above its 9 foot bankfull level just after midnight on the 1st and remained out of its banks until the early afternoon. The creek crested at 10.39 feet just after sunrise. While out of its banks, farmland, fields, and out buildings next to Knapp Creek and Browns Creek flooded.

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 → (38.2061, -80.0291)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 948532. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.