MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - Heavy rain from the remnants of a tropical storm is expected late Thursday in West Virginia and a flash flood watch has been issued for most of the state, where 23 people were killed in flooding last June.
The National Weather Service said a combination of the remnants of former Tropical Storm Cindy and severe weather from a cold front expected to push through Friday night raise the risk of flooding late in the week. But meteorologists said it’s difficult to predict exactly what areas might be hit by repeated bands of heavy rain or how much will accumulate.
“Everyone will get around an inch (30 millimeters) with the passage of Cindy,” meteorologist Maura Casey in Charleston said Thursday.
The forecast is for 1.5 to 3 inches (40-80 millimeters) across the state with downpours starting after midnight Thursday and continuing until the cold front from the northwest pushes the moisture out early Saturday, she said. “In the worst case some areas could get six inches (150 millimeters).”
Some rain also was in the forecast for Thursday, while expected strong thunderstorms Friday afternoon and evening could bring damaging wind gusts.
The weather service said the flash flood watch was issued for most of the state from late Thursday night through late Friday night.
Emergency officials are monitoring the forecast for the greater Charleston area where heavy rain is expected, according to the Kanawha County Commission.
The West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has been holding briefings for emergency managers statewide Wednesday and Thursday with another scheduled Friday morning, spokesman Lawrence Messina said. Starting Thursday evening, county and local officials can send the division situation reports or requests for help as needed, he said.
The storm comes on the anniversary of last year’s torrential rains and deadly flooding, when some places recovered up to a foot (300 millimeters) of rain in a 36-hour period.
On Thursday afternoon. Gov. Jim Justice signed a new law to coordinate the state’s flood mitigation and response efforts with a new state resiliency office. It also establishes a new legislative committee with oversight.
Flooding has affected all the mountainous state’s 55 counties and 32 major watersheds, killing at least 282 people over the last 52 years, with 27 federal disaster declarations over the past two decades, according to the bill’s legislative findings. It added, “Despite the many state and federal flood protection programs and projects, flooding continues to be West Virginia’s most common and widespread natural disaster.”
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