Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2016 10:27:16 EDT
Summary: Flood response efforts continue in West Virginia and Virginia after last week's flooding.
Intense, localized rainfall fell on June 23, 2016, along a path from Charleston, WV to Roanoke, VA, resulting in flooding in many areas. Rainfall amounts totaled between 2 and 10 inches along this path, with the heaviest rain falling in the Greenbrier and Upper James basins. Flood waters have generally receded in the Gauley, Elk, and Lower Greenbrier basins in West Virginia and the Upper James and Roanoke basins in Virginia, but recovery efforts have just begun.
Numerous peaks of record were recorded at streamgages in West Virginia. Most stations experienced peaks with 0.1 to 0.04 exceedence probabilities, but there were a number that are believed to be less than 0.01 percent. No gages were destroyed, but some damage is suspected at the James River at Bent Creek, VA streamgage.
Nine discharge measurements were made and high water marks flagged at three sites Friday, June 24. In Virginia, the James River at Buchanan was measured near the peak at a stage of 20.29 ft and a discharge of 43,500 cfs. In West Virginia, the highest measured flow was at Gauley River near Craigsville with a stage of 27.56 ft and a discharge of 49,300 cfs.
Field crews have been deployed to southeastern WV and southwestern VA for the purposes of flood documentation and station inspections.