Coal River (WV) at Tornado, WV
River level and flood forecast · Kanawha County
The river is 14.0 ft below flood stage (25 ft).
Forecast to fall to 10.1 ft by Sat, Oct 17, 8 AM.
Flow: 1,370 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 10:36 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 32 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 27 ft |
| Flood stage | 25 ft |
| Action stage | 20 ft |
| Record crest (March 7, 1967) | 31.98 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 32 ftMajor 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 ftWater floods golf course and homes along low sections of river. Roads flooded and closed throughout Tornado and surrounding areas.
- 29 ftBridge over Falls Creek on Coal River Road, located approximately 250 yards north of intersection with Smith Creek Road, floods.
- 28.7 ftDip on Coal River Road approximately 150 yards north of intersection with Smith Creek Road floods.
- 27 ftCoal River Road is flooded in several places along river. Smith Creek Road and Ferrell Road are impassable.
- 25 ftSmith 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 ftBetween 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.
Highest crests on record
- 31.98 ft — March 7, 1967
- 30.89 ft — December 31, 1969
- 30.79 ft — March 2, 2021
- 30.61 ft — April 16, 2007
- 30.14 ft — March 13, 1963
Recent crests: 28.21 ft (February 16, 2025) · 25.31 ft (February 18, 2023) · 30.79 ft (March 2, 2021) · 21.73 ft (February 12, 2020) · 22.38 ft (December 22, 2018)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (TORW2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.