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Coal River (WV) at Tornado

Highest listed crest 31.98 ftFlood stage 25.0 ft60 crests since 1962

The Coal River (WV) at Tornado crested above flood stage 24 times among the 60 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1962 to 2025. The highest, 31.98 ft on March 7, 1967, was moderate flooding, 6.98 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
31.98 ft
March 7, 1967; 35,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
25.0 ft
Major flooding from 32.0 ft
Crests at major
0
24 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
February 16, 2025
28.21 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Kanawha County
Near St. Albans (2.9 mi), South Charleston (7.1 mi), Charleston (11.4 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Coal River (WV) at Tornado
Action stage20.023Feb 12, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)25.010Feb 18, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage27.014Feb 16, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage32.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

60 crests from 1962 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Coal River (WV) at Tornado, 1962 to 2025 101520253035ft Flood stage 25.0 ftMajor 32.0 ft Feb 28, 1962: 29.00 ft, moderate flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1963: 30.14 ft, moderate flooding; 32,700 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1964: 19.33 ft, below flood stage; 16,200 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1965: 21.65 ft, action stage; 19,900 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1966: 14.42 ft, below flood stage; 7,830 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1967: 31.98 ft, moderate flooding; 35,500 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1968: 21.59 ft, action stage; 19,800 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1969: 15.49 ft, below flood stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1969: 30.89 ft, moderate flooding; 33,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1971: 18.85 ft, below flood stage; 15,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1972: 25.38 ft, minor flooding; 25,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1973: 26.00 ft, minor flooding; 27,970 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1973: 21.94 ft, action stage; 20,800 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 1974: 27.03 ft, moderate flooding; 29,700 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1975: 19.11 ft, below flood stage; 16,000 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1976: 15.71 ft, below flood stage; 10,400 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1977: 27.85 ft, moderate flooding; 31,100 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 29.57 ft, moderate flooding; 34,200 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1978: 27.87 ft, moderate flooding; 31,470 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 1978: 29.65 ft, moderate flooding; 34,400 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1979: 21.61 ft, action stage; 20,400 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1980: 21.11 ft, action stage; 19,400 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1981: 18.58 ft, below flood stage; 15,200 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1982: 20.25 ft, action stage; 17,900 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1983: 19.02 ft, below flood stage; 15,900 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1984: 20.02 ft, action stage; 17,600 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1985: 18.63 ft, below flood stage; 15,300 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1985: 20.07 ft, action stage; 17,900 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1987: 22.09 ft, action stage; 21,200 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 1987: 14.15 ft, below flood stage; 7,570 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1989: 20.72 ft, action stage; 19,000 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1989: 21.56 ft, action stage; 20,300 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1989: 18.67 ft, below flood stage; 15,500 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1991: 19.77 ft, below flood stage; 17,400 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1991: 26.32 ft, minor flooding; 27,500 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1993: 21.31 ft, action stageMar 24, 1993: 21.32 ft, action stageJan 7, 1994: 22.73 ft, action stageMar 29, 1994: 24.99 ft, action stageJan 19, 1996: 24.47 ft, action stageMay 17, 1996: 26.07 ft, minor floodingMar 4, 1997: 24.51 ft, action stageJul 30, 2001: 23.15 ft, action stage; 22,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2003: 25.35 ft, minor flooding; 25,850 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 2003: 25.63 ft, minor flooding; 26,360 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 2003: 26.26 ft, minor flooding; 27,500 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 2003: 28.98 ft, moderate flooding; 32,500 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2007: 30.61 ft, moderate flooding; 35,812 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2010: 25.51 ft, minor flooding; 26,111 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 2013: 19.83 ft, below flood stage; 16,741 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 2013: 23.11 ft, action stage; 21,700 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2015: 28.45 ft, moderate flooding; 31,505 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2015: 26.37 ft, minor flooding; 27,660 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2016: 20.53 ft, action stage; 17,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 2018: 21.98 ft, action stage; 19,665 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 2018: 22.38 ft, action stage; 20,377 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 2020: 21.73 ft, action stage; 19,207 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2021: 30.79 ft, moderate flooding; 30,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2023: 25.31 ft, minor flooding; 21,665 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2025: 28.21 ft, moderate flooding; 26,212 cubic feet per second Highest, 31.98 ft, Mar 7, 1967 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Coal River (WV) at Tornado 1960s: 4 1970s: 7 7 1980s: 0 1990s: 2 2000s: 5 2010s: 3 2020s: 3 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 60 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Coal River (WV) at Tornado
1Mar 7, 196731.98+6.98Moderate35,500
2Dec 31, 196930.89+5.89Moderate33,800
3Mar 2, 202130.79+5.79Moderate30,300
4Apr 16, 200730.61+5.61Moderate35,812
5Mar 13, 196330.14+5.14Moderate32,700
6Dec 9, 197829.65+4.65Moderate34,400
7Jan 26, 197829.57+4.57Moderate34,200
8Feb 28, 196229.00+4.00Moderate31,000
9Nov 20, 200328.98+3.98Moderate32,500
10Mar 5, 201528.45+3.45Moderate31,505
11Feb 16, 202528.21+3.21Moderate26,212
12Apr 5, 197827.87+2.87Moderate31,470
13Apr 5, 197727.85+2.85Moderate31,100
14Jan 12, 197427.03+2.03Moderate29,700
15Apr 4, 201526.37+1.37Minor27,660
16Dec 3, 199126.32+1.32Minor27,500
17Nov 13, 200326.26+1.26Minor27,500
18May 17, 199626.07+1.07Minor—
19Feb 28, 197326.00+1.00Minor27,970
20Feb 26, 200325.63+0.63Minor26,360
21Mar 14, 201025.51+0.51Minor26,111
22Feb 27, 197225.38+0.38Minor25,600
23Feb 17, 200325.35+0.35Minor25,850
24Feb 18, 202325.31+0.31Minor21,665
25Mar 29, 199424.99−0.01Action—
26Mar 4, 199724.51−0.49Action—
27Jan 19, 199624.47−0.53Action—
28Jul 30, 200123.15−1.85Action22,000
29Dec 7, 201323.11−1.89Action21,700
30Jan 7, 199422.73−2.27Action—
31Dec 22, 201822.38−2.62Action20,377
32Apr 9, 198722.09−2.91Action21,200
33Feb 12, 201821.98−3.02Action19,665
34Apr 28, 197321.94−3.06Action20,800
35Feb 12, 202021.73−3.27Action19,207
36Mar 25, 196521.65−3.35Action19,900
37Jan 22, 197921.61−3.39Action20,400
38Mar 13, 196821.59−3.41Action19,800
39Jun 16, 198921.56−3.44Action20,300
40Mar 24, 199321.32−3.68Action—
41Mar 5, 199321.31−3.69Action—
42Apr 30, 198021.11−3.89Action19,400
43May 6, 198920.72−4.28Action19,000
44May 1, 201620.53−4.47Action17,100
45May 30, 198220.25−4.75Action17,900
46Nov 29, 198520.07−4.93Action17,900
47May 8, 198420.02−4.98Action17,600
48Jan 31, 201319.83−5.17Below flood stage16,741
49Mar 24, 199119.77−5.23Below flood stage17,400
50Mar 9, 196419.33−5.67Below flood stage16,200

Other gauges in Kanawha County

Flood gauges in Kanawha County
Queen Shoals19.033.31 ft, Jun 24, 20161
Charleston6.58.30 ft, Feb 6, 20250
South Side Bridge30.047.60 ft, Jan 1, 18406
Sissonville30.035.70 ft, Jun 29, 19981

Kanawha County: every hazard · River floods across the country · West Virginia

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge TORW2, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.