Tag: Thunderstorms

Justice Declares State Of Emergency, Sweeping Storms Cause Power Outages

A powerful line of storms rolled across West Virginia on Tuesday, knocking down trees and powerlines. The storms brought power outages for more than 100,000 residents across the state.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

Updated on Tuesday, April 2, 2024 at 3:20 p.m.

Gov. Justice has declared a State of Emergency for Fayette, Kanawha, Lincoln and Nicholas counties Tuesday due to severe thunderstorms with high winds, which caused flooding, downed trees, power outages, and road blockages.

The declaration is a proactive measure ensuring the allocation of necessary resources and expedition of emergency response efforts. The State of Emergency allows State and Local agencies to take swift and decisive actions to mitigate the impact of the storms and protect the lives and property of West Virginians.

Original Story: Sweeping Storms Spur Tornado Watch, Power Outages

A powerful line of storms rolled across West Virginia on Tuesday, knocking down trees and powerlines.

According to the National Weather Service, several rounds of thunderstorms are expected to continue into the night.

The storms could also bring “damaging winds, large hail, flash flooding and tornadoes,” the National Weather Service reported.

Storms will hit central West Virginia between 4 and 9 p.m. and move east.

In response to the storms, Marshall University closed its campuses for the remainder of the day Tuesday afternoon.

In West Virginia, storms knocked down trees and powerlines throughout Tuesday, bringing tornado and thunderstorm advisories to counties across the state.

Graphic Credit: National Weather Service

Emergency alerts and sirens sounded across Kanawha County Tuesday morning, as thirteen counties in southwestern West Virginia were placed under a tornado watch.

The Kanawha County Commission issued a state of emergency over the storms Tuesday afternoon. In a press release, the commission said 911 dispatchers had received more than 500 calls regarding the tornado warning that morning.

“Metro received calls regarding structure collapses, entrapments, vehicle wrecks, fires, fallen trees, and many medical calls,” the press release read. “There [have] been reported touch downs of tornadoes in the western portion of the county, but no confirmation at this time.”

As of 12:30 p.m., Appalachian Power reported 118,000 power outages, 53,000 of them in Kanawha County alone.

The commission urged Gov. Jim Justice to issue Kanawha County a state of emergency over the weather.

For additional updates on the storms, visit the National Weather Service website.

Thousands Still Without Power After Storms Hit West Virginia

Thousands of customers remain without power in West Virginia a day after severe thunderstorms rolled through the state.

FirstEnergy says on its website that about 7,500 homes and businesses were without electricity Tuesday afternoon. That includes 2,400 customers in Pendleton County, 1,800 in Harrison County and 1,200 in Jefferson County.

Thunderstorms packing high winds buffeted northern and eastern parts of the state Monday afternoon.

FirstEnergy’s Mon Power and Potomac Edison subsidiaries serve more than 545,000 customers in West Virginia.

According to the National Weather Service, more severe thunderstorms are forecast for Tuesday evening. A flash flood watch remains in effect until midnight for counties in northern West Virginia, the eastern mountains and the Eastern Panhandle.

Storms Cause Widespread Power Outages

Over 36 thousand customers are without power this morning after another line of severe thunderstorms moved through the state yesterday.  On its website, Mon Power says it expects to turn the lights back on for its 7,291 residents and businesses by ten o’clock tonight.

Appalachian Power is reporting 29, 416 customers are affected by power outages this morning.  On it’s website, the company says around 350 line workers from outside the company’s service area are on-site and assisting local Appalachian Power crews with power restoration. An additional 100 workers are expected to join the effort by sometime today.

Damage from the Monday and Tuesday storms is widespread – there are still more than 800 locations at which crews will have to make some type of repair to restore electric service.

Service restoration is expected to be complete by tonight in areas served by the company’s Beckley, Bluefield, Charleston, Hico, Glasgow, Madison, Walgrove and Welch service centers.

In areas served by the Logan and Williamson service centers the restoration effort is expected to be complete by Thursday night.

In areas served by the Hamlin, Huntington, Milton, Point Pleasant, Ripley and Wayne service centers, restoration may extend into Friday evening.

Service in all other areas of West Virginia should be restored by later tonight.

The American Red Cross has opened one shelter in the state at

South Parkersburg Baptist Church
1655 Blizzard Dr
Parkersburg ,WV

It has the capacity of 139 people, but so far no one has used it according to the organizations website.

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