Flooding a Concern As Rain Falls in Southern West Virginia - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

Flooding is a concern for Tuesday according to the Stormtracker 59 Meteorologists.

"A large weather system with possibly up to three inches of rain or more in spots is what we're dealing with through Tuesday afternoon," said chief meteorologist Spencer Adkins.

The National Weather Service has a Flood Watch posted for Raleigh, Fayette, McDowell, Pocahontas and Wyoming counties with a Flash Flood Watch for Mercer, Monroe, Greenbrier, Summers, Tazewell and Bland counties until Tuesday afternoon.  A watch means flooding could happen, based on current forecasts.

"We're talking about September averaging over three inches of rain for the month annually, and we could see that in some spots in less than a 24 hour span.  That's a large amount of rain in a short amount of time and even though it's been very dry, we're dealing with runoff, not rain soaking into the ground.  All of those factors add up to a flood potential," said Adkins.

Several wrecks occurred on area roads in the rain during and after the Monday evening commute. Drivers can expect similarly challenging conditions Tuesday morning, with very heavy rain, some strong wind gusts possible, lower visibility and reduced tire grip which could lead to hydroplaning if drivers are not cautious.

"Let's be careful in the usual poor drainage spots, watch closely for the kids at the bus stops and leave plenty of room between vehicles and don't expect to drive 80 miles per hour on the Interstate.  Leave early and go slow so everyone gets where they need to go safely," said Adkins.

     For the latest information, follow us @Stormtracker59 on Twitter and stormtracker59 on Facebook.  Warnings appear instantly on the front page of WVNSTV.com and on WVNS CBS 59 TV.