Flash Flood — Buchanan, Virginia

2021-08-30 · near Kelsa, Buchanan, Virginia

Event narrative

Guesses Creek rose out of its banks and led to significant damage of twenty homes around the town of Hurley.

Wider weather episode

A slow moving cold front approached the Ohio Valley from the north on August 30th combined with a weak upper level disturbance. Advancing moisture seeping into the area ahead of the remnants of Hurricane Ida allowed for showers and thunderstorms to develop across the area throughout the day.

Many of these storms were slow moving and produced heavy downpours that led to very significant flooding in the town of Hurley in Buchanan County. A local 85 year old woman died within her flooded home that evening and twenty residences had considerable damage due to Guesses Creek rising out of its banks. Many roads around the community were impassable and high water surrounded the Hurley Family Health Center.

The risk for flooding diminished late that evening, but would continue nearby in West Virginia as the remnants of Ida surged northward.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (37.4680, -82.0236)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 971915. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.