Heavy Rain — Falls Church (c), Virginia

2001-06-22 · near Falls Church, Falls Church (c), Virginia

Wider weather episode

During the afternoon of the 22nd, numerous showers and thunderstorms developed just east of the Appalachian Mountains. The storms trained to the North-Northeast along the mountain ridges before moving very slowly east through midnight. These storms contained very heavy rainfall, large hail, frequent lightning, and occasionally produced high winds. Widespread flooding was reported in several locations and the storms were responsible for over a million dollars in damaged across Northern Virginia. In Frederick County, the worst flash flooding occurred across the western portion of the county. The hardest hit areas were in the Back Creek and Hogue Creek watersheds between Gore and Shawneeland where rainfall estimates were as high as 6 inches. Camp Rock Enon near Gore had to be evacuated when Back Creek started to flood the property and Back Creek Road. Highways closed or damaged by floodwaters included Route 50 between 615 and 614, 600, 613, 612, 704, 603, 679, 608, and 617. The only access road to the Shawneeland development which contains over 600 homes was washed out when Wolf Spring, Keckey, and Bucher Runs overflowed. Boulders weighing as much as 200 pounds and 36-inch culverts were washed more than a quarter mile downstream from the access road. Due to the extent of countywide damage and road closures, a state of emergency was declared. A total of 2.21 inches of rain was reported in Gore. Dime sized hail was reported 6 miles northwest of Winchester on Route 522. In addition, two homes in Shawneeland were damaged by lightning. An emergency communications tower on North Mountain was also struck and disabled by lightning. In Shenandoah County, severe flooding was reported after as much as an estimated 6 inches of rain fell. Over half a million dollars in damage was reported to roads and bridges across the county. Numerous communities were affected by flooding including Mt. Jackson, Boyce, Orkney, Mt. Clifton, Rinkerton, Macanie, and Woodstock. Waterways including the Shenandoah River, Stoney Creek, Swover Creek, and Mill Creek rose rapidly during and after the heavy rainfall. A house, outbuilding, and shed along Mill Creek near Route 263 were washed away and another house had its front porch removed. Four unoccupied cars were also washed downstream. Several acres of crops along the river were flattened and topsoil was washed away. Seven people in the area were evacuated and several homes reported flood damage. A propane tank was washed 100 yards down Mill Creek west of Mt. Jackson. Roads closed or damaged by floodwaters included Senedo Road, Routes 611, 691, 698, 701, 716-724, 729, and Route 263 between Routes 42 and 725. A total of 3.60 inches of rain was reported in Strasburg. In Rockingham County, numerous roads and bridges were either flooded or washed out by flash flooding. Hardest hit areas were along Fulks Run between the communities of Bergton and Broadway where 20 evacuations took place. The Hanging Rock, Chimney Rock, and the Runions Creek area were also affected by flooding. Damage reports included one destroyed mobile home, numerous washed out private bridges and roads, parked cars washed into the river, and the bridge on Route 259 across Runions Creek at the North Fork of the Shenandoah River being completely washed away. The pavement was removed on Runions Creek Road (Route 612) isolating over 600 residents. Twenty evacuations took place along Runions Creek. Other flooded or damaged roads included Routes 259 and 42. Rainfall reports included a radar estimate of 6 inches in the Fulks Run basin, 3.50 inches between Burgess and Highview and 2.95 inches at Cootes Store. In Warren County, Morgan's Ford Road and Freezeland Road were flooded in the northwest portion of the county. A total of 3.77 inches was recorded in Nineveh. In Loudoun County, heavy rain flooded roads so quickly that three people had to be rescued by boat from their cars. Roads affected by flooding included Route 7, Route 663, Route 15 at Route 662, Route 50, Lawson Road, Old Ox Road (Route 606), Goshen Road, Forest Mill Road, Ashburn Road, Waxpool Road, and Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659). Several basements and low lying areas were also flooded. Limestone Branch, Broad Run, and Tuscarora Creek overflowed their banks. The rapidly rising water downed trees and flooded property and roads along the waterways. A spotter in Ashburn reported 5.10 inches of rainfall in 90 minutes in addition to pea to dime sized hail. A spotter in Arcola estimated up to 8 inches of rain fell in two hours. Additional totals included 5.94 inches near Ashburn, 4.70 inches in Ashburn Farm, 4.04 inches in Leesburg, 3.78 inches at the National Weather Service in Sterling, 3.25 inches in Sterling Park, and 2.09 inches at Dulles International Airport. Heavy rainfall that collected on the roof of the Sheriff's office in Leesburg was so heavy it caused a portion of the roof to collapse. A 60 MPH wind gust was estimated in Ashburn Farm where a few trees were uprooted or snapped. Near Arcola, winds estimated between 60 and 70 MPH downed power lines and hundreds of trees, damaged 6 homes, and destroyed 4 barns/machine sheds. The hardest hit areas were along Evergreen Mills and Belmont Ridge Roads, but downed trees were found across an area stretching from Route 606 to 621. In Fairfax County, water covered Route 7 between Reston Parkway and Route 193. Difficult Run overflowed its banks in the Great Falls area. Two parks located in the southwest portion of the county were flooded after Bull Run and Cub Run overflowed. A campground in Bull Run Regional Park on the Prince William county line was inundated with water from Cub Run. Over 70 campers evacuated when they saw the water rising but a group of 25 scouts that were asleep and unaware of the flooding were awakened after water seeped into their tents after midnight. The group moved to higher ground and had to wait a few hours until the water receded enough to make a rescue possible. Five to seven cars in the campground parking lot were damaged by flooding. Rainfall totals included 3.80 inches in Centreville, 3.45 inches in Reston, 3.25 inches in Clifton, 2.40 inches in Herndon, and 2.34 inches in Great Falls. A home in Springfield was damaged by a lightning fire. In Arlington County, Glebe Road was flooded in Arlington. In Falls Church, 2.23 inches of rain was recorded. In Prince William County, several roads were flooded. A total of 2.68 inches fell in Manassas where quarter sized hail was also reported. In Fauquier County, high winds downed trees in the Marshall area. A wind gust of 40 MPH was estimated in Opal. Pea sized hail fell near Warrenton. In Culpeper County, two trees were downed by high winds in the western portion of the county. In Nelson County, roads near Nelson County High School in Lovingston were flooded. Rainfall totals included 4.98 inches at Montebello Fish and 2.85 inches in Lovingston.

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Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5254325. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.