Flash Flood — Rockingham, North Carolina

2024-09-17 · near Ayersville, Rockingham, North Carolina

Event narrative

Numerous roads were flooded and impassible across Rockingham County, with several of the reports concentrated to the north and east of Reidsville. This included a report of flooding along W. Harrison Street in Reidsville, where one car stalled in the high water near the intersection of W. Harrison Street and Market Street. An underpass between E. Harrison Street and W. Harrison Street was also reported flooded and impassible until the water receded. North of Reidsville, Wolf Island Creek was observed overflowing its banks across Wolf Island Road, where two people required rescue when their vehicle was washed off the road into a corn field next to the creek. No injuries were reported. No roads were reported damaged by the flooding, which were open to traffic when the flooding receded. Damage estimates are for the vehicles.

Wider weather episode

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.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (36.5004, -80.0263)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1218738. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.