WOAY-TV (Oak Hill, WV): The morning is off to a stormy start, particularly for the northern chunk of the viewing area. Storms have been making their way through since the overnight hours. A couple of severe thunderstorm warnings have been issued during this period. Stormy activity will continue through the day before the largest threat arrives this evening into the overnight hours. Make sure you stay weather aware through the day and have multiple ways to receive alerts.
The main concerns for today are flooding and damaging winds. A decent amount of rain has fallen since yesterday, and more repeat downpours will spell trouble for any affected areas. Those in areas vulnerable to flooding should have a plan to move to higher ground. If you encounter high water, do not wade or drive through it. Along with the heavy rain, there will be enough energy available for storms to reach severe criteria. Gusts could reach up to 70 miles per hour in the strongest storms. We cannot completely rule out tornadic activity and hail, but it is less likely.
Strong storms are likely to come in batches through the day. The first is moving through now before the second arrives this afternoon. The third and most concerning batch arrives this evening. The later group of storms, originating from the plains, will slide down through the Ohio Valley and eventually into our area. There are already severe thunderstorms in the plains, which may be a sign of things to come later today. If this system remains organized, it could become a Mesoscale Convective Complex. This is defined as a large, organized group of strong thunderstorms. The StormWatch Team will be keeping a close eye on the incoming storms. Here’s the latest from Meteorologist Christian Boteler:
Due to the amount of moisture in the atmosphere and the continuing rounds of storms, we are looking at flooding concerns through the day. As a result, a couple of things have happened within the National Weather Service. First, the National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch covering our entire viewing area through 8 AM Friday morning. Second, the Weather Prediction Center has placed a “moderate” risk of excess rainfall across the western portion of our region. This ranking indicates a significant chance for flash flooding issues. The rest of our area is within a “slight” risk. This is lower than the moderate, but still meaningful.
With damaging winds and flooding becoming more likely, there are some actions you can take to prepare. Stay aware through the day, gather supplies in case of a power outage or flooding, and have multiple ways to receive alerts including the StormWatch App. In these conditions, being prepared is half the game. Below is the Excessive Rainfall Outlook from the WPC:
Stormy activity will continue through the rest of the week. Storms will not be quite as strong, but the risk for flooding will remain elevated. Storms will continue to train over our area for the second half of the week, resulting in localized flash flooding. A few thunderstorms may reach severe criteria with damaging winds, but the threat is easing up tomorrow and Thursday. After Friday morning, a weaker high-pressure system moves into the region. This will keep activity scattered at worse this weekend. Storms will continue next week, but chances remain on the lower end for Monday. Here’s the 7-Day Forecast:
