Flash Flood — Petersburg (c), Virginia

2025-07-15 · near Petersburg, Petersburg (c), Virginia

Event narrative

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management in collaboration with the National Weather Service in Wakefield Virginia conducted a Virginia Incident Damage Assessment for the City of Petersburg after significant flooding on the night of July 14 into the morning of July 15. Widespread rainfall totals of 3-5 inches were observed across Petersburg with one report of 7.33 inches from the Petersburg, Dinwiddie County Airport ASOS/AWOS. The damage assessment found 38 damaged commercial buildings with a combined estimated damage of $3,863,288 and 16 damaged residential buildings with an estimated damage of $897,205. There was major damage to 9 commercial properties and 2 residential properties as well as minor damage to 14 commercial properties and 8 residential properties. The remainder of the properties noted above were affected by the flood waters, but were below minor damage criteria.

Wider weather episode

A moist and unstable air mass was in place from July 14 through July 15. This allowed for widespread, slow-moving storms to move across portions of central, southern, and southeastern Virginia. These storms produced heavy rain and widespread flash flooding in two rounds. One round was from overnight convection on the night of July 14 into the morning of July 15 and the other round was during the afternoon of July 15. Widespread rainfall totals of 2-4 inches were observed across south-central and southern Virginia as well as the Northern Neck with localized totals of 5-7 inches between eastern Dinwiddie County to western Surry County. The highest measured total was 7.33 inches from the Petersburg, Dinwiddie County Airport ASOS/AWOS. Given the very heavy rainfall and saturated soil leading up to the event, a flash flood emergency was issued in Petersburg on the night of July 14 through the morning of July 15.

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Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1285771. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.