National Weather Service: Expect Rain, Wind From Remnants Of Hurricane Laura Starting Late Friday

The remnants of Hurricane Laura are expected to make their way across West Virginia late Friday evening and into early Saturday morning, according to federal weather forecasters. 

The National Weather Service said the storm, which made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane along the Gulf Coast in Cameron, Louisiana, is expected to be significantly weaker when it travels through the Mountain State. 

West Virginians, especially in the southern parts of the state, can expect wind gusts up to 20-30 miles per hour. However, rainfall associated with the storm is the main concern, said Dave Marksalek, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Charleston. 

“Wind shouldn’t be the biggest factor with this,” he said. “It’s going to be the rain that it brings to the region.”

The NWS predicts Laura will bring 1-2 inches of rain to parts of the state. However, much of West Virginia has already seen rainfall in recent days. 

On Thursday, the NWS reported 3 to almost 5 inches of rain fell in far northern Clay County, northern Nicholas County, and southern Braxton and Webster counties prompting some reports of flash flooding. 

More storms are expected today as well as late Saturday, after the remnants of Laura pass through.  

Marksalek said storm activity before and after Laura sets up parts of West Virginia for possible flooding. 

“If we get more areas across the state that receive a lot of rain from the showers and storms today, before Laura arrives, it can create some additional problems as Laura moves through,” he said. 

Marksalek said so far it appears the remnants of Laura are moving quickly, and he expects the system to pass through West Virginia in a matter of hours.