Flash Flood — Carroll, Virginia

2025-07-18 · near Galax City, Carroll, Virginia

Event narrative

Significant flash flooding occurred on Wards Mill Branch creek, as multiple rounds of heavy rain during thunderstorm activity passed across the basin. Rainfall rates were estimated by radar to be in excess of 4 inches per hour, with totals of 3 to 3.5 inches occurring during a period lasting a little over an hour. This amount is roughly a 100-year event for a 1-hour duration per NOAA Atlas 14 Point Precipitation Frequency estimates. FLASH 3-hour ARI maxed out at a 50-year event at 6:10 pm EDT, while the FLASH 3-hour QPE/FFG ratio had reached 180. Several structures became surrounded by fast moving water. This resulted in swift water rescues of nine people and four pets in the 100 block of Old Quaker Road. There were also evacuations of a nearby mobile home park on Macy Drive. A downstream river gage, Chestnut Creek at Galax, rose over 4 feet. No injuries were reported.

Wider weather episode

A frontal boundary approaching from the north combined with a hot and humid air mass to produce scattered severe thunderstorms across southwest Virginia. Damaging wind gusts from these storms blew down several trees and power lines with one of the trees falling on to a house in Bedford County, and hail up to the size of quarters fell in Bedford and Henry counties.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (36.6390, -80.9063)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1293341. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.