What began as an unseasonably cold, even snowy week for late April, ended with very heavy rain, especially across southeast West Virginia and southwest Virginia.  The front that brought the very cold weather to the region early in the week was returning north of a warm front on the 26th.  This, combined with a strong upper-level disturbance tracking across the Ohio Valley and an influx of Gulf moisture, set the stage for the development of showers and thunderstorms .  Rainfall amounts across much of southeast West Virginia and southwest Virginia were in the 1.0 to 2.0 inch range for the 24-hour period from midnight Thursday April 26th to midnight Friday April 27th.  However, the most significant rainfall fell across areas of southwest Virginia, west of I-77, and in southeast West Virginia.  In these areas, several locations received rainfall of 2.0 to 3.0 inches in the 24-hour period ending at midnight June 27th, with parts of Bland county receiving in excess of 5.0 inches of rain.  In West Virginia, the heaviest rain fell in Greenbrier county in the Rainelle and Caldwell areas, where several roads were closed and some were washed out.
During the afternoon and evening, scattered showers and thunderstorms redeveloped across southeast West Virginia and southwest Virginia in an increasingly warm, humid air mass.  Some of these became severe producing quarter to ping-pong ball-sized hail.

Flash Flood in GREENBRIER, WEST VIRGINIA
From 26-APR-12 17:53:00 to 26-APR-12 21:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: MC ROSS
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

The Greenbrier County Emergency Management Director and the public reported that a number of roads in the Rainelle area were flooded and closed.  Several residents had to be evacuated from their homes in the area, but no homes were damaged from flooding.

Flash Flood in GREENBRIER, WEST VIRGINIA
From 26-APR-12 18:15:00 to 26-APR-12 21:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: TUCKAHOE
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

The West Virginia Highway Department reported flash flooding along County Road 50, also known as Tuckahoe Road, approxmiately three miles south-southeast of White Sulphur Springs.  Several small creeks and streams in the area were flooded and out of their banks.  No siginficant structural damage was reported.

Flash Flood in GREENBRIER, WEST VIRGINIA
From 26-APR-12 18:15:00 to 26-APR-12 21:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: CALDWELL
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

The Greenbrier County Emergency Management Director reported considerable flooding at the intersection of U.S. Route 60 and West Virginia Highway 63, within the community of Caldwell, just southeast of Lewisburg.  The flooding was the result of overflow from a tributary of the Greenbrier River.  A portion of U.S. Route 60 and West Virginia Highway 63 were closed.  Several homes in the area were threatened by high water and some evacuations were necessary.  However, no significant damage to property was reported although a few culverts were washed out.

Flash Flood in GREENBRIER, WEST VIRGINIA
From 26-APR-12 18:15:00 to 26-APR-12 21:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: RICHLANDS
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

The West Virginia Highway Department reported that U.S. Route 60 near Miller Mountain Road was flooded and closed.  No significant structural damage was reported.

Hail in MONROE, WEST VIRGINIA
From 26-APR-12 18:56:00 to 26-APR-12 18:56:00 (EST-5)
Location: LINDSIDE
Magnitude: 1.50 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

The public observed ping-pong ball-sized hail in the Lindside area.

Hail in MERCER, WEST VIRGINIA
From 26-APR-12 17:28:00 to 26-APR-12 17:45:00 (EST-5)
Location: PRINCETON
Magnitude: 1.25 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

The public observed quarter to half-dollar-sized hail in the Princeton area.

Hail in MERCER, WEST VIRGINIA
From 26-APR-12 18:12:00 to 26-APR-12 18:12:00 (EST-5)
Location: BLUEFIELD
Magnitude: 0.75 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A trained storm spotter observed penny-sized hail.