Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued for Meigs, Jackson, Wirt, and Wood Counties

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Charleston, West Virginia, has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for southeastern Meigs County in Ohio, along with southwestern Wirt, northern Jackson, and south central Wood counties in West Virginia. The warning is effective immediately and remains in place until 1:00 AM EST on February 20, 2026.

Affected Areas

The warning covers the following geographic regions:

• Southeastern Meigs County in southeastern Ohio
• Southwestern Wirt County in northwestern West Virginia
• Northern Jackson County in northwestern West Virginia
• South central Wood County in northwestern West Virginia

Specific locations impacted include Ripley, Racine, Ravenswood, Sandyville, Cottageville, Portland, Peewee, and Evans. This alert also includes Interstate 77 in West Virginia between mile markers 137 and 159.

What You Should Do

For your protection, move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Residents should be aware that torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, which may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

Expected Conditions

At 12:41 AM EST, radar indicated a severe thunderstorm located near Ravenswood, or 7 miles northwest of Ripley, moving east at 55 mph.

• Hazard: Quarter size hail (1.00 inch).
• Wind: Max wind gusts up to 50 MPH.
• Source: Radar indicated.
• Impact: Damage to vehicles is expected due to hail size.
• Rainfall: Torrential rainfall is currently occurring within the storm cell.

Timeline

The alert was issued at 12:41 AM EST and is scheduled to expire at 1:00 AM EST on February 20, 2026.