Flash Flood — Giles, Virginia

2024-09-30 · near Thessalia, Giles, Virginia

Event narrative

A thunderstorm produced around 1.5 inches of rain falling at rates exceeding four inches per hour. This rain fell across ground that was nearly saturated from rainfall during Tropical Storm Helene a few days earlier. At 6 pm EDT, FLASH CREST Unit Streamflow was as high as 400 cfs/mi^2, while the 1-hour QPE was 135 percent of FFG values. This rainfall flooded Broad Hollow Road, making it impassible until the flooding receded. No damage was reported to the road.

Wider weather episode

Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms associated with the remnant moisture of Tropical Storm Helene passed across the region, producing localized heavy rainfall across soils that were already moist from previous rainfall. Rainfall rates in several of the storms that developed ranged from between three and five inches per hour and, in a few cases, were higher. Creeks that were already high from recent rainfall did not need much additional runoff to be forced out of their banks and flood nearby roads.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (37.2734, -80.7848)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1219133. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.