Severe Storms Cause Flash Flooding and Unusual Weather Phenomena Across Multiple States
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Intense storms resulted in flash flooding in parts of West Virginia and Kentucky on Thursday, while a rare wintry mix coated trees and roads with ice across several states, leading to the phenomenon known as "thunder ice."
Residents in Indiana, southern Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania experienced this unusual weather early Thursday, reporting freezing rain accompanied by lightning in unstable atmospheric conditions.
“This is something I’ve never witnessed before — lightning and thunder during an ice storm,” said a local resident from Ohio, showcasing the remarkable weather event.
In West Virginia, the relentless thunderstorms kept residents awake through the night, bringing heavy rainfall that flooded neighborhoods and caused hazardous conditions on interstate highways. As a result, numerous schools across several counties delayed their classes or closed for the day.
Charleston experienced several inches of rain, prompting local officials to activate an emergency operations center. Emergency responders addressed multiple rescue calls as water levels began to recede by late morning. By midday, most of West Virginia and parts of eastern Kentucky and southeastern Ohio remained under flood warnings.
In south-central Kentucky, a National Weather Service team was dispatched to assess damage reports after high winds uprooted trees and damaged roofs.
The storm also left trees and roads coated in ice across several mid-Atlantic states before temperatures rose in the afternoon. Fortunately, most regions avoided significant power outages typically associated with ice accumulation.
In New England, forecasts predicting several inches of snow led to numerous school closures and delays. Over 200 schools and businesses in Maine opted to close or shut down early, including the Kennebunk area school district, which chose to prevent risks associated with hazardous commuting conditions for afternoon school buses.
"Road conditions are expected to quickly worsen once the snow begins, potentially endangering students and staff if an early release is implemented,” stated the district superintendent.
