First Warning Forecast | Weather Alert For Flooding Potential

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - After some communities were hit with upwards of four inches of rain yesterday (largely from Boone county northeastward through Braxton county in the mountains of West Virginia), they have been left extremely vulnerable for future flooding should new downpours develop. With a ‘normal’ amount of ground saturation, we can withstand about 2.5″-3″ of rain in a three-hour period before flooding would occur, yet in these mountain valleys barely 1″ of rain will have the same effect. It is anticipated that these kinds of rain showers will be coming in this afternoon; the kind that most of us can handle with just brief disruption but that can flood some of these valleys out yet again. If you live in those areas, or know folks that do, be vigilant to the last drop of rain in this scenario, right through the overnight hours of tonight. A Flash Flood Warning is in effect for these areas from this afternoon into tonight. Temperatures won’t be a problem today, though is representative of the tropical-lite air that is overhead. We’ll be in the 70s and 80s by day, and the 60s at night.

Early Wednesday morning should see the last of this moisture squeeze out of the clouds, with a northerly breeze helping to bring back the sunshine and dry out the ground. Highs Wednesday and Thursday will stay closer to 80°, if not stay in the 70s all day. Another confirmation of the drying air coming in, morning temperatures will finally sag back into the 50s starting Thursday morning, a good way to finish off the month of August and get prepared for September. Meanwhile, to our south Hurricane Idalia will be making landfall on the Florida coastline as a “major” hurricane (a moniker reserved for storms Category 3 and above). The same system that sweeps out our rainfall pattern will also wall this storm off to our south. Myrtle Beach and the Southeast coastline will be inundated with inches of rain, but we’ll be in the sunshine with quiet skies. This will be a well-deserved and appreciated time to dry out and clean up.

Eventually, with days of sunshine stringing together temperatures will start ticking back up. Highs will be back into the upper 80s during the college football games Saturday (be ready for sunburns y’all), and then stalking that 90-degree mark again Sunday.

Copyright 2023 WSAZ. All rights reserved.