Published: March 04, 2008 10:10 pm         

Heavy rain, high water rock region

March came in like a lamb, then a lion.

After southern West Virginia residents enjoyed sunny skies and temperatures near 70 degrees Monday, heavy rain rocked the region Tuesday with reports of high water, downed trees, rocks in roadways and some Nicholas County residents being evacuated from their homes.

The National Weather Service in Charleston issued both a flood watch and a severe thunderstorm watch for the entire region Tuesday, according to meteorologist Dave Marsalek. Heavy rain dumped about an inch of rain on the Beckley area by 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to NWS data. However, Marsalek warned the worst was yet to come.

The “buckets” of rain that fell earlier, he said, would stop for a brief period of sunshine. That break in precipitation, though, would further destabilize the atmosphere before a line of strong storms — stretching from northeastern Kentucky to northern Georgia and western South Carolina — moved in from the west.

In the Beckley area, most high water that could be expected would come from overflowing small streams, Marsalek said. However, river rises could be expected, and the region’s rivers would need to be monitored.

Other chief concerns of forecasters included high winds, with gusts expected to reach 35 to 45 mph, he said.

Marsalek advised residents to avoid traveling — and not to drive through any floodwaters.

“Obviously, this is not a good day to be outside,” he said Tuesday. “We cannot stress this enough — do not drive through water at all. Even slight amounts can sweep you away. You can’t tell the depth, and there’s no point in risking it.”

About a half dozen residents along the South Fork of the Cherry River in Richwood were evacuated Tuesday afternoon, said Junior Dancy, a dispatcher for the Nicholas County Emergency Operations Center. The Richwood Fire Department was being turned into a command center.

Authorities were particularly concerned because any flooding could affect at least 20 households, plus Nicholas County Health Care Center, Dancy said. The nursing home, located in a low-lying area, has 75 to 100 residents. Four ambulances were stationed there in case they were needed.

Later in the evening, Dancy said the river was receding and no one was in imminent danger. However, Richwood Area Community Hospital had been set up as a shelter for anyone needing to evacuate their homes.

Richwood suffered a major flood in November 2003 and has had a number of close calls since. A proposal to build a dam on South Fork is still being studied by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Raleigh County EOC reported about 16 different weather-related incidents Tuesday night, including a rock slide that shut down W.Va. 3 at Harper Mountain. Other incidents, spread throughout the county, included high water and downed trees.

The Fayette County EOC reported downed trees in the Prince and Page areas and rocks in the roadway at Cotton Hill Bridge, near Beckwith. Minor high water incidents were reported in Mount Hope.

Roads in Greenbrier County were blocked “everywhere,” according to that county’s EOC. The Summers County EOC reported minor flooding from stopped-up culverts and water in some residents’ basements. Monroe County authorities reported downed trees in the Willow Bend area.

Marsalek said today’s precipitation would be considerably less. But because Tuesday’s line of storms was associated with a cold front, temperatures would be cooler with temperatures in the low-to-mid-40s. Wet snow during the early morning was possible.

He noted authorities would have to monitor rivers throughout the day today because water from Tuesday’s storms may drain into already-rising rivers.

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