Flash Flood — Tucker, West Virginia

2021-09-01 · near Hannahsville, Tucker, West Virginia

Event narrative

Licking Creek Road was flooded at Cheat Vally Highway.

Wider weather episode

The remnant low pressure center of Hurricane Ida passed across West Virginia and the Central Appalachian Mountains from late August 31st through September 1st. The abundant moisture associated with the low intersected a frontal zone which was nearly stalled in the area of the Ohio Valley. Strong isentropic and frontogenetically-induced lift led to periods of heavy rain over eastern Ohio over the two-day period, both from thunderstorms ahead of the low and from a period of tropical rainfall during the morning of the 1st. Rain tapered off by the afternoon as the remnants of Ida pulled towards the Mid-Atlantic coast.

Rainfall totals over the two-day period across the northern panhandle were highest in Brooke and Ohio Counties, with 3 to 5 inches observed. The town of Bethany had a notable number of closed roads. Similar rain totals were seen in Preston and Tucker Counties as well, with many reports of flooding received. Roads feeding into the Cheat Valley Highway were impacted, and the towns of Tunnelton, Rowlesburg, and Terra Alta reported many road closures. In Albert, several homes were evacuated along Horseshoe Run Road.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (39.2300, -79.7200)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 984323. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.