CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Rain that is in the forecast to continue in West Virginia well into Sunday could cause flash flooding, low-lying area flooding and river flooding.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Simone Lewis said all three are possible with the training of storms that’s getting most of its moisture from the south.

“We expect a continuation of this and potentially the worsening of conditions in some spots as we go through time,” Lewis told MetroNews Friday.

Flash flooding has been reported in parts of Logan, Lincoln, Mingo, Wayne and Boone counties.

A general flood warning is in effect until 12:45 p.m. Friday for Boone, Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Fayette, Gilmer, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Nicholas, Putnam and Roane counties.

The weather service was expected to do a river flooding forecast later Friday.

There are 23 counties under a flood watch into Sunday morning.

Lewis said the cumulative total of the rain will have an impact.

“Both the combination of what’s already occurring and the fact that we have even more precipitation expected well into Sunday evening, conditions could get worse in the coming days,” Lewis said.

Lewis said the frontal boundary that has settled above West Virginia is expected to move into Ohio Saturday proving a few hours of dry weather, Lewis said.

“But once we get into those afternoon and evening hours again on Saturday that frontal boundary is going to come right back towards us and we are looking at showers and storms increasing once again,” Lewis said.

Lewis said it’s going to rain well into Sunday evening.

“This is something that folks are going to need to keep an eye out for, especially if you are traveling and especially if you’re traveling at night,” Lewis said.

dbeard@dominionpost.com

MORGANTOWN – Sen. Shelley Moore Capito fielded some questions during her Thursday briefing with West Virginia reporters on this week’s job cuts at the Morgantown NIOSH office, and the earlier cuts at the Morgantown National Energy Technology Laboratory.

About 185 researchers in the NIOSH division in Morgantown received layoff notices on Tuesday as part of the Department of Health and Human Services plan to cut about 10,000 employees from the department.

“I am extremely concerned about this,” Capito said. “This is impacting and will impact not only the folks that were let go, and their families, but also the health and safety of our coal miners and firefighters.”

She said she talked to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last week about his plan in general, urging him to avoid cutting HHS to the bone. She understands the desire to trim duplication and bloating, “but in this case I have strong disagreements with the administration.”

And she was slated for another call with RFK Jr. on Thursday afternoon to delve into the issue again.

Asked if she looked for any jobs being restored, she said she’s concerned about the people and what they do – how they keep the miners and firefighters safe. “I’m hoping to effect a brighter outlook from him, that you have cut into the bone here in an essential service for workplace safety.”

She hopes he will restore the functions and the people, she said. She’s seen layoffs and administrative leaves reversed earlier in this Trump administration government trimming process.

She’s been in contact with some of those who’ve lost jobs, she said, to offer assistance. She believes agencies have offered assistance as well. Some might take up the standing offer of early retirement.

MetroNews’ Mike Nolting asked Capito if she knows how many are left at NIOSH.

She said, “We’re trying to get clarification, precisely. It appears that there’s not much left.” The question is on the nature of the jobs – do they duplicate functions provided elsewhere at HHS.

The Dominion Post asked Capito about the probationary employees laid off at NETL in February as part of the nationwide elimination of probationary positions.

As it turned out, the NETL director was in her office before the press call, she said. The employees were asked to return, and of 51 cut, 41 are back to work.

“The goal of what’s going on here,” she said, “as painful as it is, is to shrink government, to make it right sized … to make it work more efficiently and better.” If those goals are met, the services delivered will be as good as they’ve been, possibly better.

The press call came between Capito trips to the Senate floor for votes, and she noted that the Senate was starting work on the reconciliation measure to extend the 2017 Trump tax bill, the Tax and Jobs Investment Act. This one is called the Job Creation and Tax Act.

“It created a lot of prosperity across the country,” she said. “Everybody got tax relief and I want to continue that.”

The measure also addresses border security, national security and – a topic crucial to West Virginia, she said – unleashing American energy. It’s an extended process, and the next step is to craft policies to match the aspirational goals they’re formulating now.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A lot of West Virginia residents started the day with a nervous eye on their weather app. In Charleston, audible sirens echoed up and down the Kanawha Valley amid tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm activity. The National Weather Service triggered emergency alerts on cell phones and radio broadcasts were constantly interrupted by the automated voice of the weather service offering detailed information about where the next potential for catastrophe was expected to land.

Despite the heightened concern, mother nature largely spared the state, at least for now.

“We received a significant amount of thunder and lightening and some heavy downpours, but in terms of damage we only had some downed trees and power outages. We’re pretty fortunate in that regard,” said Steve Wykoff, Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director for Upshur County.

The worst of the winds passed through central West Virginia from Wood County over into Ritchie, Tyler, Doddridge, Lewis, Upshur, and Webster Counties. However, there were no reports in the afternoon of any significant damages.

The activity in the Charleston area was similar.

“So far we’re not seeing much damage. We do have a bunch of power outages and trees down, but no reports of any homes damaged or anything like that,” said C.W. Sigman, Director of Emergency Management for Kanawha County.

Social media burned up with videos and photos of an ominous cloud over Fayette County. However, the Emergency Services director there, Jack Kincaid, said there wasn’t anything to speak of with regard to the damages.

“We had reports of a weird cell that formed in the Babcock area, but we haven’t had any reports of damage,” he explained.

Joe Curtis at the National Weather Service said they had no reports of any touchdowns.

“We did have some tree damage, but that was a result of straight line winds. So far, no reports of any damage,” said Curtis in an appearance on MetroNews Talkline.

The intense storm activity was followed by flood watches and warnings. Small streams and creeks came out of their banks, but the high water, for the moment, hasn’t reached any homes across the southwestern counties of the state.

Officials suggest people stay vigilant since more intense weather activity is expected this evening and overnight into Friday.