Storms pack a punch, but leave West Virginia largely intact – WV MetroNews

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.