Flash Flood — Campbell, Virginia

2024-09-30 · near Gladys, Campbell, Virginia

Event narrative

Slow moving thunderstorms produced between 2 and 2.5 inches of rainfall across central Campbell County during the evening of September 30th, with rain at times falling at a rate of four inches per hour. The CREST Unit Flow peaked at 270 cfs/mi^2, while rainfall estimates were 70 to 80 percent of Flash Flood Guidance. Regardless, the short but intense rainfall was enough to produce runoff that flooded multiple roads, making them impassible for short periods of time: Depot Street, Crows Road, Brookneal Highway near Gladys, and Campbell Highway in Rustburg. Flooding also occurred along Village Highway, where one vehicle was washed off the road, as well as along Rocky Road. It is uncertain if there was any damage to the vehicle. No damage to the roads were reported.

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 → (37.1892, -79.0712)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1219135. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.