Flood — Carroll, Virginia
2013-01-30 · near Byllesby, Carroll, Virginia
Event narrative
Several, if not all, of the wooden flash boards at the Byllesby/Buck Dams were damaged or washed away due to flooding on the New River. In addition, turbines were damaged.
Wider weather episode
Unseasonably warm air, with afternoon temperatures reaching into the 60s and low 70s, and a surge of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico interacted with a slow moving cold front during the afternoon and evening hours of January 30th, resulting in strong low-topped showers and thunderstorms and widespread heavy rainfall. Despite weak CAPE associated with the frontal passage, low level wind shear was in excess of 60 knots across the region, which produced lines of showers, often with strong winds but little to no lightning. Precipitable water values were observed to be in the 1.0 to 1.5 inch range, which is extremely high for January across the Appalachians and the nearby Piedmont region. To add to the flooding threat, ground conditions were already saturated from recent rain and snow during the days and weeks preceding the event.
Severe weather caused power outages across portions of southwest and central Virginia, with one of the highest concentrations of power outages occurring in Pulaski County, where nearly 1250 homes and businesses were without power during the evening of January 30th. The Virginia Department of Transportation reported as many as 35 roads were closed across mainly southwest Virginia due to flooding or flooding-related problems, and that clean up costs associated with flooding, landslides and debris flow was between 1.5 and 2 million dollars.
The following is a list of total rainfall amounts, in inches, across western and central Virginia:
- Alleghany County -
2.48 4 E Covington CCR,
2.22 Gathright Dam COOP,
2.10 Covington FP COOP,
2.00 Rich Patch IFLOWS,
1.96 Dunlap Creek Near Covington.
- Amherst County -
4.10 Pedlar Dam COOP.
- Appomattox County -
1.11 Appomattox COOP.
- Bath County -
3.16 Cassidy Bridge IFLOWS,
3.05 Lime Kiln RAWS,
2.76 Mill Creek,
2.64 Trappers Lodge IFLOWS,
2.36 Jordon Top IFLOWS,
2.32 Pump Storage IFLOWS,
2.31 Gathright Dam DCP,
2.30 Williamsville,
2.23 Hot Springs COOP,
2.20 Douthat State Park IFLOWS,
1.88 BaCreek Creek DCP at Sunrise,
1.40 JaCreekson River Near Bacova,
1.08 Ingalls Field Airport.
- Bedford County -
3.26 Holcomb RoCreek COOP,
3.07 Bedford COOP,
2.17 4 WSW Moneta CCR.
- Bland County -
1.49 Bland DCP.
- Botetourt County -
4.35 Apple Orchard IFLOWS,
4.15 Lithia IFLOWS,
3.64 Troutville IFLOWS,
3.36 Glade Creek IFLOWS,
3.00 Carvin Creek IFLOWS,
2.96 Buchanan,
2.83 Sloan Branch IFLOWS,
2.76 Daleville IFLOWS/USGS,
2.48 Tinker Creek IFLOWS,
2.16 North Fork IFLOWS,
2.12 Oriskany IFLOWS.
- Buckingham County -
1.10 Buckingham COOP.
- City of Roanoke -
4.14 Roanoke River at STP IFLOWS,
4.03 Roanoke,
3.11 Lower N. Lakes IFLOWS,
1.80 Montclair IFLOWS.
- Carroll County -
3.99 6 N Galax CCR,
3.32 Woodlawn IFLOWS,
2.40 Twin County Airport.
- Charlotte County -
1.03 Charlotte Courthouse COOP.
- Craig County -
2.72 Johns Creek/RTE 311 IFLOWS,
2.64 Simmonsville IFLOWS,
2.64 Abbott IFLOWS,
2.52 Potts Mountain IFLOWS,
1.88 Craig Creek/RTE 614 IFLOWS,
1.76 Upper Johns Creek IFLOWS,
1.67 Craig Valley RAWS.
- Floyd County -
4.45 Willis COOP,
4.32 8 ENE Floyd CCR,
4.31 Willis DCP,
3.40 Copper Hill IFLOWS,
3.16 Mountain View Church IFLOWS.
- Franklin County -
4.23 Adney Gap IFLOWS,
3.71 Simmonds Gap IFLOWS,
3.22 Maggodee Creek IFLOWS,
2.46 6 E Boones Mill CCR,
2.44 Route 640/Pigg River IFLOWS,
2.24 Rocky Mount/Pigg River IFLOWS,
1.80 Rocky Mount COOP,
1.60 Gills Creek N.F. IFLOWS,
1.44 Ferrum IFLOWS,
1.16 Blackwater IFLOWS.
- Giles County -
2.48 North Fork IFLOWS,
2.47 Spruce Run IFLOWS,
1.64 W Pearisburg CCR,
1.44 Dismal IFLOWS,
1.08 Butt Mountain IFLOWS.
- Grayson County -
4.17 2 E Independence CCR,
3.45 1 S Independence CCR,
3.02 Galax,
2.48 Jones Knob IFLOWS,
2.28 Bethel IFLOWS,
2.08 Troutdale DCP,
1.84 Fairwood IFLOWS,
1.80 Whitetop Mountain IFLOWS,
1.76 Grayson Highland IFLOWS.
- Halifax County -
1.09 South Boston COOP.
- Henry County -
1.84 Prilliman IFLOWS,
1.76 Providence Church IFLOWS,
1.55 Chestnut knob IFLOWS,
1.35 Marrowbone Reservoir IFLOWS,
1.31 Philpott Dam,
1.24 Blackberry Creek RG IFLOWS,
1.12 Meadows Church IFLOWS,
1.03 Martinsville Hydro-Electric IFLOWS.
- Montgomery County -
4.83 Lafayette COOP,
3.32 Shawsville SG/IFLOWS,
3.08 Ironto IFLOWS,
3.00 Lafayette SG/IFLOWS,
3.00 Falling branch IFLOWS,
2.77 Christiansburg COOP,
2.71 Brush Mountain IFLOWS,
2.40 Blacksburg IFLOWS,
2.12 Blacksburg NWS,
1.76 Poor Mountain IFLOWS,
1.14 VA Tech Airport.
- Nelson County -
4.00 Montebello Fish Nursery.
- Patrick County -
3.83 Circle M IFLOWS,
3.80 Slate Mountain IFLOWS,
3.76 Raven Rock Church IFLOWS,
3.16 Meadows of Dan COOP,
2.87 Central Academy IFLOWS,
2.57 Woolwine COOP,
2.44 Samuel Grove Church IFLOWS,
2.28 Willow Hill Church IFLOWS,
2.24 Doe Run Church IFLOWS,
2.12 Trot Valley IFLOWS,
2.12 Dry Pond IFLOWS,
1.91 Stuart COOP,
1.16 Critz IFLOWS.
- Pittsylvania County -
1.06 Chatham COOP.
- Pulaski County -
1.99 Radford COOP,
1.96 Caseknife Station IFLOWS,
1.80 Peak Creek IFLOWS,
1.74 Radford,
1.68 NRV Airport IFLOWS,
1.49 Pulaski COOP,
1.20 Cove Mountain IFLOWS.
- Roanoke County -
4.63 Tinker Creek S. IFLOWS SG/RG,
3.60 Witt's Orchard IFLOWS,
3.32 Sugarloaf Mountain IFLOWS,
3.20 Crawfords Ridge IFLOWS,
3.15 Salem Pump Station IFLOWS,
3.08 Peters Creek IFLOWS,
2.96 Mill Mountain IFLOWS,
2.92 Fort Lewis Mountain IFLOWS,
2.65 Roanoke Airport (ASOS),
2.39 Mason Creek IFLOWS,
2.36 Roanoke COOP,
2.34 Niagara River Gage,
1.32 Mason Cove IFLOWS.
- Rockbridge County -
3.55 Glasgow 1 SE COOP,
3.04 Calfpasture River Above Mill Creek at Goshen,
3.00 Buena Vista COOP,
2.88 Glasgow IFLOWS SG/RG,
2.56 Lexington IFLOWS/COOP,
2.23 Vesuvius IFLOWS,
1.52 Rockbridge Baths.
- Smyth County -
2.48 Little Brushy IFLOWS,
2.25 Saltville COOP,
2.08 mf Holston River at Seven Mile Ford IFLOWS/USGS,
1.99 Saltville Precip (TVA),
1.96 Walker House IFLOWS,
1.76 Nebo IFLOWS,
1.44 Camp IFLOWS,
1.44 Empire Airport IFLOWS,
1.32 Marion TVA RG,
1.16 Mount Rogers IFLOWS.
- Tazewell County -
3.20 Springville IFLOWS,
2.11 Richlands Precip (TVA),
2.10 Burkes Garden COOP,
2.04 Christmas Tree Hill IFLOWS,
2.00 Cumberland Heights IFLOWS,
2.00 Whitaker Ridge IFLOWS,
1.96 Bluestone IFLOWS,
1.92 East River Mountain IFLOWS,
1.88 Jewell Ridge IFLOWS,
1.76 Stony Ridge IFLOWS,
1.76 Gratton IFLOWS,
1.11 Tazewell Rain Gage (TVA).
- Wythe County -
1.80 Wytheville IFLOWS,
1.80 Sand Mountain IFLOWS,
1.56 Cedar Springs IFLOWS,
1.36 Stony Fork USFS RAWS,
1.32 Walker Lookout IFLOWS,
1.12 Crawfish Valley IFLOWS.
View location on OpenStreetMap → (36.7800, -80.9300)
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 431677. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.