Flood — Webster, West Virginia

2021-03-01 · near Donaldson, Webster, West Virginia

Event narrative

Williams River at Dyer rose above its 10.5 bankfull level early in the morning on March 1st. The river crested at 13.92 feet right before sunrise and returned to its banks during the early afternoon that day. Several sections of Williams River Road and Forest Service Roads along the river as well as low lying bridges became impassable due to the flooded roadways. Several campgrounds and camps in close quarters to the river also 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 → (38.3803, -80.4888)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 948696. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.