Flash Flood in Logan County, West Virginia

The worst flooding in terms of damage, was along the west to east flowing Mud Fork. The Mud Fork basin drains through small communities such as Troy Town, Shegon, and Verdunville. Around Mt Gay, the Mud Fork joins with the Copperas Mine Fork and Island Creek, before they empty into the Guyandotte River. Smaller tributaries such as Coal Branch and Lower Dempsey Branch were also flooded. Island Creek around Monaville was also flooded. One resident along Mud Fork said, cars were going down the road like tic-tacs floating. The children at the Verdunville Elementary School remained safe in the school until the water receded. ||Ten homes were destroyed, 76 suffered major damage, and 133 homes had minor damage. Around 400 families were eligible for federal assistance in Logan County. ||The Allied Health Building that houses the Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College had about 18 inches of water on the first floor. Many of the students vehicles in the parking lot were flooded. The flood prone businesses in Mt Gay were flooded, but most had insurance.

Localized downpours caused severe flash flooding from Hoover Branch of Big Harts Creek on northeast, through the Chapmanville vicinity. The Big Creek drainage, including North Fork, Garrett Fork, and Rocklick Branch, were flooded. Godby Branch also flooded. American Red Cross surveyed 12 single family dwellings and 4 mobile homes destroyed. Major damage occurred to 34 single family homes. In addition, 16 mobile homes had major damage. Some residents along Garrett Fork, sat on their roofs awaiting rescue. In the June flash flooding, damage to private homes in Logan County was second, only to Kanawha County.

Streams that flow into the Mount Gay community from the west and south, such as Mud Fork, Copperas Mine Fork, and Whitman Creek flooded. This also hit communities such as Verdunville, Cora, Shamrock, and Holden. Further upstream, the streams and mountainsides that drain into the Guyandotte River also flooded. This included areas such as the south portion fo Man and around Mallory. Many small hollows were flooded. This would include Madison Branch. A resident along Madison Branch described the flooding as the mountains letting loose and washing out the ground surrounding the homes of her relatives. They were unable to get out of the hollow to get water or supplies. At Taplin, a church was pushed off its foundation and was left sitting on the road.||Preliminary damage accounts for the county, indicated 6 single family homes and 7 mobile homes were destroyed. Major damage was to 43 single family homes and to 15 mobile homes. Over a half million dollars in damage to roads and bridges was estimated.