Flood in Stokes County, North Carolina

The Dan River at Pine Hall, NC (PNHN7) crested at 23.44 feet (16,200 cfs) at 8:00 AM EDT on Sept. 18th (18/1200 UTC) due to runoff from heavy rain falling the evening prior. This is the highest crest on the river since January 2024, when the river crested at 24.60 feet. This crest rates between a 2-year and a 5-year Average Recurrence Interval (ARI), or between a 50% and a 20% Annual Exceedance Probability per USGS StreamStats. The flooding was the result of between 5 and locally 8 inches of rain that fell across portions of Stokes County upstream from the gage on the 17th. The river caused portions of Joe Ayers Road along the right bank just upstream of the gage to be flooded 1-2 feet deep near Pine Hall Road, making the road impassible. Nearby River View Golf Course was observed completely flooded when the river rose out of its banks. Several farm fields along River Road were flooded as well. Damage estimates are related to cleanup from the flooding.

A stationary front draped east to west across northern North Carolina provided the focus for training showers and thunderstorms during the evening of the 17th. Winds were from the east along the North Carolina & Virginia state border around high pressure centered over New England. The easterly windflow carried moist Atlantic air across Stokes and Rockingham Counties, with precipitable water values ranging from 1.5 to 1.7 inches during the evening. Several rounds of showers and storms passed across the area, with rainfall rates times exceeding four inches per hour per rain gage data and MRMS (Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor System) estimates. This caused flash flooding of several local waterways, with at least two roads washed out in Stokes County, as well as a water rescue of stranded motorists.