Flash Flood in Lynchburg (c) County, Virginia

Heavy rainfall was widespread across the City of Lynchburg, with rates observed as high as 5 inches per hour at times. The rainfall overwhelmed storm water drains, causing heavy runoff to flow down roads and across properties within the city. Flash flooding occurred on several roads within the city, causing them to be impassible until the flooding receded. These roads include the 2500 block of Carroll Avenue, Old Campbell Avenue, Otey Street, Oakley Avenue at Wythe Road, Kemper Street, McConville Road.

Upper level low pressure was centered over Hudson Bay to start the day on the 13th, with generally zonal west to east flow from the central Plains through the Mid-Atlantic. A slow-moving cold front was draped across the Ohio River Valley. Early in the day, an upper level disturbance embedded in the upper level windflow was observed crossing southern Ohio and West Virginia, reaching central Virginia during the afternoon. Thunderstorm activity increased in an environment of surface-based CAPEs climbing to around 3,000 J/Kg, while precipitable water values climbed into the 1.7 to 1.9 inch range by early evening. A series of thunderstorms passed across the City of Lynchburg and northern Campbell County during the evening, producing 3 to locally 6 inch per hour rainfall rates. The first storm passed across Lynchburg shortly after 4 pm, with additional rounds arriving at 6 pm, 7 pm and 9 pm. Each round brought 1 to 3 inches of rain to the city, depending on location. CREST Unit Streamflows rising over 1,000 cfs per mi^2. FLASH Average Recurrence Intervals maxed out at over a 200-year rainfall event at the 6-hour duration.