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This probabilistic forecast is issued by the Ohio River Forecast Center.

	Hydrograph			River at a Glance			Download			Probability Information Weekly Chance of Exceeding Levels Chance of Exceeding Levels During Entire Period Short-term Probabilistic Guidance (Experimental)

For official forecast click here

Experimental Short Range Forecast Uncertainty (AHPS) - External Links: Product Description Document | Customer Survey

About this graph

Forecasts for the Coal River (WV) at Tornado are issued routinely year-round.

Vertical datum height surveyed by the USGS

Return to Area Map

Zoom Level:14

Flood Categories (in feet)

Major Flood Stage:	32
Moderate Flood Stage:	27
Flood Stage:	25
Action Stage:	20
Low Stage (in feet):	-9999

Historic Crests
(1) 31.98 ft on 03/07/1967
(2) 30.89 ft on 12/31/1969
(3) 30.79 ft on 03/02/2021
(4) 30.61 ft on 04/16/2007
(5) 30.14 ft on 03/13/1963
(6) 29.65 ft on 12/09/1978
(7) 29.57 ft on 01/26/1978
(8) 29.00 ft on 02/28/1962
(9) 28.98 ft on 11/20/2003
(10) 28.45 ft on 03/05/2015
Show More Historic Crests

(P): Preliminary values subject to further review.

Recent Crests
(1) 25.31 ft on 02/18/2023
(2) 30.79 ft on 03/02/2021
(3) 21.73 ft on 02/12/2020
(4) 22.38 ft on 12/22/2018
(5) 21.98 ft on 02/12/2018
Show More Recent Crests

(P): Preliminary values subject to further review.

Low Water Records
(1) 9.47 ft on 08/22/2023
(2) 9.56 ft on 10/03/2019
(3) 9.80 ft on 09/05/1999
(4) 9.83 ft on 09/29/1963
(5) 9.95 ft on 08/19/1988
Show More Low Water Records

	Gauge Location	Disclaimer
Latitude/Longitude Disclaimer: The gauge location shown in the above map is the approximate location based on the latitude/longitude coordinates provided to the NWS by the gauge owner.

Flood Impacts & Photos

If you notice any errors in the below information, please contact our Webmaster
32	Major flooding all along the Coal River. Several homes and buildings are affected. Access to Meadowood Park and the area along the river in the park are flooded.
30	Water floods golf course and homes along low sections of river. Roads flooded and closed throughout Tornado and surrounding areas.
29	Bridge over Falls Creek on Coal River Road, located approximately 250 yards north of intersection with Smith Creek Road, floods.
28.7	Dip on Coal River Road approximately 150 yards north of intersection with Smith Creek Road floods.
27	Coal River Road is flooded in several places along river. Smith Creek Road and Ferrell Road are impassable.
25	Smith Creek Road and Ferrell Road become impassable from backwater approximately 1 to 2 miles from the bridge. Sections of Coal River Road upstream from Tornado bridge are flooded. The river banks overflow near the river gauge.
20	Between 20 to 25 feet, backwater flooding from the Coal River affects Smith Creek. This results in flooding of low spots along the banks of Smith Creek, Ferrell Road, and Coal River Road upstream from gauge.
Photos (1) Downstream view (2) Upstream view (3) View of gauge house (4) Low head concrete dam 0.2 miles downstream provides some control (5) Smith Creek Road floods at 20-25 feet (6) Backwater flooding of Smith Creek floods portions of Ferrell Road at 20-25 feet (7) Low spots along Strawberry Road flood at 20-25 feet (8) Low spot on Coal River Road downstream of gauge floods at 28.75 feet (9) Bridge over Falls Creek on Coal River Road floods at 29 feet

Other Real-time and/or Archive Data Sources:

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data and Site Info for Tornado

Additional Information

Potential River Levels - Used to

Potential River Levels Used to Estimate the Chance of Flooding and the Range of Possible River Levels
10 day (HEFS)	10 Day (NAEFS)	River Forecast vs. River Potential

Note: Use the official hydrograph at the top of this web page for river levels within the next 72 hours.

See the Product Description Document link for more details on the interpretation of the 10 day graphics.

Collaborative Agencies

The National Weather Service prepares its forecasts and other services in collaboration with agencies like the US Geological Survey, US Bureau of Reclamation, US Army Corps of Engineers, Natural Resource Conservation Service, National Park Service, ALERT Users Group, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and many state and local emergency managers across the country. For details, please click here.

NWS Information

National Weather Service
Charleston Weather Forecast Office
1754 Hendrickson Drive
South Charleston, WV 25303
(304) 356-5885
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Page last modified: 2-Nov-2020 7:30 PM

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