Status: ACTIVE — Flash Flood Warning until 9:00 AM EDT, Sunday, September 20, 2026. This is a live snapshot as of 7:20 AM EDT. Conditions change fast — always verify with the National Weather Service for your specific county or ZIP code.
The National Weather Service in Charleston, West Virginia, has extended a Flash Flood Warning covering eight counties across north-central and northwestern West Virginia — Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Jackson, Ritchie, Roane, Wirt, and Wood counties — through 9:00 AM EDT this morning. Between 1.5 and 2.5 inches of rain have already fallen, thunderstorms are producing more heavy rain as measured by Doppler radar and automated rain gauges, and flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. This is the exact kind of event that turns into interior water-intrusion work for restoration teams across the region: the basements, crawl spaces, and ground floors of homes and businesses sitting along small creeks and low-lying drainages.
West Virginia — Flash Flood Warning
Issuing office: National Weather Service, Charleston WV (weather.gov/rlx)
Issued: 7:14 AM EDT, Sunday, September 20, 2026 (an extension of the earlier warning)
Expires: 9:00 AM EDT, Sunday, September 20, 2026
Severity: Severe · Certainty: Likely · Urgency: Immediate
Hazard, in the NWS alert’s own wording: “Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.”
Source: “Radar and automated gauges.”
Rainfall so far: Between 1.5 and 2.5 inches of rain have fallen across the warned area. Additional rainfall amounts of up to 1 inch are possible.
Counties and areas covered:
- Northern Roane County in central West Virginia
- Calhoun County in north central West Virginia
- Gilmer County in north central West Virginia
- Southwestern Doddridge County in northern West Virginia
- Northeastern Jackson County in northwestern West Virginia
- Southern Ritchie County in northwestern West Virginia
- Wirt County in northwestern West Virginia
- Southeastern Wood County in northwestern West Virginia
Named locations that will experience flash flooding, per the alert: Spencer, Glenville, Elizabeth, Grantsville, Arnoldsburg, Cedar Creek State Park, Reedy, Sand Fork, Pullman, Auburn, Munday, Annamoriah, Brohard, Creston, Macfarlan, Big Springs, Mount Zion, Smithville, Cherry, and Millstone. This includes Interstate 77 in West Virginia near mile marker 150, and between mile markers 152 and 163.
Expected impacts, verbatim from the alert: “Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas.”
Source: NWS alert (api.weather.gov) · NWS Charleston WV
Stay safe this morning
The alert’s instructions are plain: Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding. Never drive through flooded roadways — turn around and find another route.
If water enters your home: stay out of standing water where electricity may be present, avoid the basement until the water recedes and power is confirmed off, and photograph everything before you start cleanup — documentation matters for insurance. Then call a local restoration contractor. Water left sitting starts a second wave of damage within a day: saturated drywall, swelling subfloors, and the beginning of microbial growth.
Report flooding to the National Weather Service by calling toll free 800-401-9535 when you can do so safely.
What this means for restoration teams
Eight counties, a mix of small cities, town centers, and rural valley communities along creeks and streams — this is a classic interior-water event shape. With 1.5 to 2.5 inches already down and up to another inch possible, the call volume won’t be dramatic structural collapse. It will be saturated basements, flooded crawl spaces, water pushing in at foundation walls, sewage backup in low-lying areas, and ground floors taking on water in the towns the alert names — Spencer, Glenville, Elizabeth, Grantsville, and the I-77 corridor between mile markers 150 and 163.
Damage categories to expect: interior water intrusion at slab and basement level, saturated drywall and insulation along foundation walls, mold risk building within 24–48 hours wherever porous material stays wet, sewage backup where drainage and low-lying areas overwhelm systems, and roadways/underpasses flooding along the I-77 corridor.
The play: stage equipment now, pre-position drying assets, and keep an on-call rotation through the morning — the warning runs until 9 AM EDT, but discovery calls typically start within hours of water receding and keep coming for days as people find damage they didn’t see the first morning. On the first call, capture address, water source, and affected areas. Field discipline: photo-document before mitigation, moisture-map every affected room, and keep the homeowner’s payment responsibility clear in writing before work starts.
FEMA & federal assistance
If your home or business takes serious damage, the FEMA Helpline is 1-800-621-3362 (7 a.m.–10 p.m. local, 7 days a week). You can also apply at DisasterAssistance.gov, through the FEMA app, or find a recovery center at fema.gov/drc.
Basic eligibility: citizenship or qualified status, identity verification, proof of occupancy or ownership, and unmet needs not covered by insurance. Apply as soon as it’s safe — don’t wait for insurance to resolve.
Looking ahead
When this warning expires at 9:00 AM EDT, the rain may have moved on — but flash flooding doesn’t always end when the rain does. Small creeks and streams in steep West Virginia valleys can keep rising after the heaviest rain stops, and poor-drainage areas and underpasses can hold water well into the morning. The NWS will update or let the warning expire on its own terms; check NWS Charleston for the next update.
For restoration operators: this is the start of the demand window, not the peak. Water-intrusion calls typically start within hours of water receding and keep coming for days as homeowners discover damage — soft spots in drywall, musty basements, flooring that didn’t look wet on Sunday morning. The teams that capture addresses and document first get the jobs that go to insurance.
Sources & how to verify
- NWS Flash Flood Warning, Charleston WV — issued 7:14 AM EDT, September 20, 2026; expires 9:00 AM EDT — api.weather.gov (read September 20, 2026, 7:20 AM EDT)
- NWS Charleston WV office page
To verify for your own county or ZIP code: go to weather.gov and enter your location, or check the NWS Charleston hazards page. The alert above was verified against the live NWS API this morning.
This post is for informational purposes and is not an official weather warning. Always follow instructions from local authorities and the National Weather Service.
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