A Flash Flood Warning is active right now across an 11-county stretch of northeastern Kentucky, southeastern Ohio, and western West Virginia, issued by the National Weather Service in Charleston at 5:30 AM EDT Sunday, September 20, and in effect until 9:30 AM EDT. Doppler radar at issuance showed thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area — between 1 and 1.5 inches had already fallen, with another 0.5 to 1.5 inches possible. This is the exact interior-flooding profile restoration teams see most: urban areas, low-lying streets and underpasses, small creeks and streams rising fast on saturated ground.
This is a live snapshot as of 5:35 AM EDT. Conditions change fast — always verify with the National Weather Service for your specific county or ZIP code.
Kentucky (Boyd, Greenup) — Flash Flood Warning
The NWS Charleston office issued this warning at 5:30 AM EDT on September 20, 2026, for northern Boyd County in northeastern Kentucky and southeastern Greenup County in northeastern Kentucky, expiring 9:30 AM EDT. Hazard: flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. Source: radar indicated. At 5:30 AM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area; 1 to 1.5 inches of rain had fallen, with additional rainfall amounts of 0.5 to 1.5 inches possible. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. Expected impacts: flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses, as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas.
Ohio (Gallia, Lawrence) — Flash Flood Warning
Same warning, same window: southwestern Gallia County in southeastern Ohio and Lawrence County in southeastern Ohio are covered until 9:30 AM EDT. The alert’s rainfall numbers apply uniformly across the warned area — 1 to 1.5 inches already down at 5:30 AM, up to another 1.5 inches possible. With Lawrence County sitting along the Ohio River opposite Huntington, WV, and Ironton nearby, river-adjacent low-lying neighborhoods and drainage systems are the places to watch as creeks respond to the heavy rain.
West Virginia (Cabell, Jackson, Kanawha, Mason, Putnam, Roane, Wayne) — Flash Flood Warning
The West Virginia counties under this warning until 9:30 AM EDT: northern Cabell County in central West Virginia, northern Kanawha County, southwestern Roane County, Jackson County in northwestern West Virginia, southern Mason County in western West Virginia, Putnam County, and northern Wayne County in western West Virginia. This corridor includes the Huntington–Charleston stretch along the Ohio and Kanawha rivers — urban areas, highway infrastructure, and poor-drainage zones are the stated impact areas. The alert names three highway segments explicitly:
- Interstate 77 in West Virginia between mile markers 109 and 148
- Interstate 64 in West Virginia between mile markers 1 and 8, and between mile markers 10 and 46
- Interstate 79 between mile markers 11 and 30
Drivers on those stretches should expect possible water on the roadway and the approaches to underpasses — the places flooding catches vehicles first.
NWS office page: NWS Charleston WV. Alert source: NWS alert text.
Stay safe this morning
Turn around, don’t drown. The NWS instruction on this warning is direct: most flood deaths occur in vehicles — never drive through flooded roadways. If water enters the home: stay out of standing water where electricity may be present, avoid the basement until water recedes and power is confirmed off, and photograph everything before cleanup begins — documentation matters for insurance. Then call a local restoration contractor. Water left sitting starts a second wave of damage within a day.
Report flooding to the National Weather Service toll free at 800-401-9535 when you can do so safely.
What this means for restoration teams
A 1-to-3-inch heavy-rain event across an urban tri-state corridor is the interior-water-intrusion playbook: saturated drywall and insulation, flooded basements and crawlspaces, sewage backup in low-lying areas where storm systems overload, and mold risk beginning within 24–48 hours on anything left wet. The stated impacts — urban areas, highways, streets, underpasses, poor-drainage and low-lying areas — map directly to basement and slab-on-grade work, parking-lot drainage failures backing into commercial suites, and roadway-adjacent structures taking runoff.
The play this morning: stage equipment now, pre-position drying assets so techs aren’t hauling dehumidifiers across the corridor after first light, and keep an on-call rotation through the morning. When calls start, capture address, water source, and affected areas on the first call — that triage determines whether it’s a pump-and-extract job or a full dry-out. Field discipline: photo-document before mitigation, moisture-map every affected room (not just the visibly wet one), and keep the homeowner’s payment responsibility clear in writing before work starts.
FEMA & federal assistance
If this event causes damage beyond what insurance covers: the FEMA Helpline is 1-800-621-3362 (7 a.m.–10 p.m. local, 7 days). Apply at DisasterAssistance.gov, through the FEMA app, or find recovery centers at fema.gov/drc. Basic eligibility: citizenship or qualified immigration status, identity verification, proof of occupancy or ownership, and unmet needs not covered by insurance. Apply as soon as it’s safe to do so.
Looking ahead
This warning expires at 9:30 AM EDT — but expiration is not all-clear. The next things to watch: additional rounds of rain possible through the morning, and small creeks and streams that crest after the heaviest rain passes. Residents and contractors should expect the next NWS update or any follow-on warning on the NWS Charleston page. Demand window note: water-intrusion calls typically start within hours of water receding and keep coming for days as people discover damage — a Sunday morning event means the first discovery calls often land Sunday afternoon and keep building through the week.
Sources & how to verify
- NWS Flash Flood Warning alert text (issued 5:30 AM EDT, September 20)
- NWS Charleston, WV office page
To verify for your own county or ZIP: check weather.gov or your local NWS office page — warnings are issued by county and updated as conditions change.
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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