A deepening low pressure system was lifting northeast out of central Illinois around midday on Friday, the 2nd.  It reached southern Michigan by evening.  By late afternoon its associated warm front had pulled north into central Ohio and into central West Virginia near Charleston.  Some small hail fell with the warm front across southern West Virginia during the late morning hours.  The warm front struggled to move much further to the northeast. This left eastern Kentucky in the warm sector.  During the late afternoon, surface dew points increased into the upper 50s in eastern Kentucky and into the lower 60s across southern Kentucky.  This was ahead of the approaching cold front.
Severe thunderstorms, including distinct supercells, moved into eastern Kentucky just before sunset.  One of those supercells produced a long lived tornado that moved into Wayne County from Lawrence County, Kentucky.  The tornado crossed the Tug Fork River near Glen Hayes and moved through the Dunlow, Kiahsville, Cove Gap vicinity.  It weakened and disispated in Lincoln County.  It was the same storm that had hit West Liberty, Kentucky earlier.   A shorter track tornado formed a short time later from a separate cell, affecting portions of Lincoln County.
Another tornado with a long track, crossed the Tug Fork River near Kermit before weakening and lifting in Mingo County. This is the first recorded tornado for Mingo County.  This was same supercell thunderstorm that had hit the Salyersville, Kentucky vicinity earlier.
Flooding was also a significant problem.   The warm frontal rain kept the ground saturated.  The early evening thunderstorms then dumped around 1.5 inches in 3 hours, causing flash flooding on streams, mainly in Wayne and Lincoln Counties.
In Lincoln County, the total damage from the 2 tornado paths plus the flash flooding was 1 house destroyed, 5 homes with major damage, and 8 others with minor damage.
Around 2,300 customers lost electricity in Wayne County, with another 2000 in Lincoln County.
In the aftermath, a few residents around Charleston, including the Kanawha County community of Tornado, found paper envelopes, cancelled checks, and pictures around their property, that had fallen from the sky.  The items were from the West Liberty, Kentucky vicinity.
This event was included with the 29th of February episode as a federal disaster.  Around 130 West Virginia National Guard troops were used in the field during the course of this federal disaster.  See FEMA disaster number 4059 for additional details.

Tornado in LINCOLN, WEST VIRGINIA
From 02-MAR-12 18:57:00 to 02-MAR-12 19:07:00 (EST-5)
Location: CUZZIE
Tornado F-scale: EF1
Property damage: 200.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

The long tracked tornado was weakening as it finally dissipated in Lincoln County.  Wind gusts were estimated in the 85 to 90 mph range in tree damage around Ranger.  On the enhanced Fujita scale it would be on the low end of the 1 rating.

Tornado in LINCOLN, WEST VIRGINIA
From 02-MAR-12 19:32:00 to 02-MAR-12 19:50:00 (EST-5)
Location: BRADYVILLE
Tornado F-scale: EF1
Property damage: 150.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Employee

A separate supercell that was further north and slightly later in time produced a second tornado in Lincoln County.  Damage to trees and a few residents were noted around Palermo and also along Sulphur Spring Road near Alkol.  Similar to the other tornado in Lincoln County, maximum winds were estimated on the low end of the EF1 scale, in the 85 to 90 mph range.

Thunderstorm Wind in KANAWHA, WEST VIRGINIA
From 02-MAR-12 19:30:00 to 02-MAR-12 19:30:00 (EST-5)
Location: MARMET
Magnitude: 50.00 EG
Property damage: 7.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Trees fell onto power lines in the town and along Lens Creek.  A tin roof was blown off a mobile home.

Hail in MINGO, WEST VIRGINIA
From 02-MAR-12 19:41:00 to 02-MAR-12 19:41:00 (EST-5)
Location: GREYEAGLE
Magnitude: 1.50 
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Tornado in MINGO, WEST VIRGINIA
From 02-MAR-12 19:38:00 to 02-MAR-12 19:42:00 (EST-5)
Location: KERMIT
Tornado F-scale: EF2
Property damage: 90.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

A tornado coming out of Martin County Kentucky crossed over the Tug Fork River and lifted just as it entered West Virginia.
The tornado hit a ridge line just south of Kermit.  Several trees were blown down.  Debris was carried over the river from the Lovely vicinity of Martin County and scattered on the mountainside and across Route 52. The tornado was lifting but still came in contact with a railroad communication tower.  The tower was 280 feet tall with a base elevation of 1380 feet above mean sea level.  The free standing tower was fully collapsed over the back side of the ridge.  It was determined that the tornado destroyed the tower before completely lifting up and dissipating.   Winds of 125 mph were estimated.

Hail in WAYNE, WEST VIRGINIA
From 02-MAR-12 18:38:00 to 02-MAR-12 18:38:00 (EST-5)
Location: FT GAY
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 10.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Hail in WAYNE, WEST VIRGINIA
From 02-MAR-12 18:35:00 to 02-MAR-12 18:35:00 (EST-5)
Location: PADDLE CREEK
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 10.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Hail in WAYNE, WEST VIRGINIA
From 02-MAR-12 20:00:00 to 02-MAR-12 20:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: EAST LYNN
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Hail in LOGAN, WEST VIRGINIA
From 02-MAR-12 20:05:00 to 02-MAR-12 20:05:00 (EST-5)
Location: PHICO
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 3.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Hail in LOGAN, WEST VIRGINIA
From 02-MAR-12 10:43:00 to 02-MAR-12 10:43:00 (EST-5)
Location: MALLORY
Magnitude: 0.75 
Property damage: 3.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Hail in WAYNE, WEST VIRGINIA
From 02-MAR-12 18:52:00 to 02-MAR-12 18:52:00 (EST-5)
Location: COVE GAP
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Newspaper

Hail in LINCOLN, WEST VIRGINIA
From 02-MAR-12 20:05:00 to 02-MAR-12 20:05:00 (EST-5)
Location: GRIFFITHSVILLE
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Flash Flood in WAYNE, WEST VIRGINIA
From 02-MAR-12 20:40:00 to 03-MAR-12 03:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: FT GAY
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 100.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

Streams feeding into Twelvepole Creek and into East Lynn Lake flooded.  Route 152 was closed, hindering the relief efforts for both the flooding and the tornado.

Tornado in WAYNE, WEST VIRGINIA
From 02-MAR-12 18:38:00 to 02-MAR-12 18:57:00 (EST-5)
Location: GLENHAYES
Tornado F-scale: EF3
Property damage: 1.90M
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

The tornado crossed the Tug Fork River from Lawrence County, Kentucky and enter Wayne County.  Numerous trees were blown down near Glenhayes. The tornado passed between Dunlow and Radnor, then into the Kiahsville and Cove Gap vicinity along Route 37.  In the Dunlow vicinity, the damage was from hilltop to hilltop, just over a half mile wide.  In that vicinity, about 5 homes were destroyed with 1 sustaining major damage.  At least 3 vehicles were damaged in Dunlow. The East Lynn Lake campground vicinity saw toppled trees and damage to electric and phone lines.  Approximately 15 homes were destroyed with 7 sustaining major damage around Kiahsville and Cove Gap.  The homes included mobile homes and manufactured structures.  A 2 story house lost its roof, plus several of the outside walls and an interior wall.  The hillsides and narrow roads were littered with uprooted trees, tangled power lines, sheets of metal roofing, and damaged vehicles. A resident near Cove Gap said, we never thought anything like this would get in here.  It got in and it didn't want to leave. I guess it wasn't here that long, but it seemed like forever.
Ironically, it may have been a local funeral that saved lives.  A funeral was being held in the community of Wayne that evening for a local Cove Gap resident.  Several neighbors attended the funeral and were not at home when the storm hit.  When they returned, they found their homes damaged.  The tornado then traveled into Lincoln County where it weakened and finally dissipated.
A maximum wind speed of 138 mph was estimated by the survey team in the Dunlow vicinity, resulting in a low end EF3 rating.

Flash Flood in LINCOLN, WEST VIRGINIA
From 02-MAR-12 18:40:00 to 03-MAR-12 02:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: HAMLIN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 350.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Flash flooding occurred along creeks such as Joes Creek, Cobbs Creek, Straight Fork, and Middle Fork.  Twelve water rescues occurred.  Communites such as Griffithsville, Garretts Bend, Yawkey, Sod, and Alum Creek were affected.  Many roads were flooded and closed including Routes 3 and 214.  The Duval firehouse was flooded with 19 inches of water inside.  Around 3 dozen homes were affected by the water.  Three businesses had up to 6 inches of water inside.  The damage from the water was about equal to that caused by the more localized tornadoes.
In the aftermath, a strong rise occurred along the Guyandotte River in western Lincoln County.  Yet, water levels remained below flood stage at Branchland.

Flash Flood in MINGO, WEST VIRGINIA
From 02-MAR-12 18:30:00 to 03-MAR-12 01:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: BREEDEN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 10.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Streams, such as the East and West Forks of Twelvepole Creek, blocked roads.

Flash Flood in LOGAN, WEST VIRGINIA
From 02-MAR-12 18:20:00 to 02-MAR-12 23:45:00 (EST-5)
Location: SHIVELY
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 10.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Streams in the far western portion of the county, near the border with Lincoln and Mingo Counties flooded and closed roads.  This included the headwaters of Harts Creek.