Heavy Rain in Ashe County, North Carolina

The Cooperative Weather Observer at Jefferson 2 E, NC (JFFN7) measured a 1-day total of 3.90 inches of rainfall, the result of thunderstorms training across the area. Radar indicates that much of the rain fell within about a 1-hour period, though multiple rounds of rain passed across the station. This is the 3rd highest 1-day total occurring during the month of May for this station, but still does not rank in the top 30 1-day totals for JFFN7.

Flash flooding was observed across central Ashe County, including in the Towns of West Jefferson and Warrensville, due to heavy runoff from about three inches of rain falling within one hour per multiple personal weather stations within the area. The three inches of rain during one hour has between a 50 and a 100-year ARI (Average Recurrence Interval) per NOAA Atlas 14 Point Precipitation Frequency estimates. Rainfall rates from personal weather stations in the area were measured at times to be anywhere from three to as high as six inches per hour. On Tuesday, June 18, 2024, NC Governor Roy Cooper signed a state disaster declaration for the town of West Jefferson that suffered damages this event.