Heavy Rain — Manassas Park (c), Virginia

2001-08-11 · near Countywide, Manassas Park (c), Virginia

Wider weather episode

Showers and thunderstorms with very heavy rainfall and frequent lightning moved across Northern Virginia during the afternoon of the 11th. Over 20,000 customers across Northern Virginia lost power as a direct result of the storms. In Frederick County, streets were flooded by 3 to 4 inches of rain which fell in less than 2 hours. Several streets had to be closed in Winchester when Abrams Creek and Town Run rapidly rose. Wilkens Lake overflowed and water cascaded down South Pleasant Valley Road. A total of 2.4 inches fell in Winchester in one hour and 3.11 inches accumulated by the end of the storm. A mud slide closed Greenwood Road and an abandoned house in the Greenwood area collapsed. In Clarke County, roads were flooded by heavy downpours. D.G. Cooley Elementary School reported damage from leaky ceilings after rainwater seeped through a re-roofing project. A total of 5.13 inches was recorded at Mt. Weather. In Loudoun County, high water stranded motorists in Sterling. The bridge at Lawson Road in Leesburg was impassible after a stream overflowed its banks. In Ashburn, 2.60 inches of rain fell in only 50 minutes. An observer in Unison reported 1.02 inches in only 17 minutes. Totals across the county included 3.47 inches in Bluemont, 3.26 inches Ashburn, and 2.61 inches in Lincoln. In Fairfax County, water covered roads in the city of Fairfax. In McLean, four houses were flooded and two cars were submerged by flood waters. Also in McLean, a car and a dumpster were washed downstream after Pimmit Run overflowed. Portions of Route 29, Fairfax County Parkway, and the Dulles Toll Road were underwater. Sixteen motorists had to be rescued from their cars after they became stranded in high water. Trees were downed by rapidly rising water along the George Washington Parkway. In Vienna, a historic home built in 1859 sustained $5000 damage after flood waters crashed through a basement window. In only one hour 3.65 inches of rain fell in Vienna and 3.50 inches fell in Centreville. A spotter in Reston reported 2.62 inches in only 30 minutes. Rainfall totals included 4.60 inches in Reston, 4.16 inches in Centreville, 3.75 inches in Herndon, and 2.59 inches in Great Falls. In Centreville, a lightning fire destroyed a home and two cars on Grey Post Court. In Fauquier County, six roads were closed by flood waters. In Culpeper County, roads were flooded by heavy downpours. A total of 5 inches was recorded in Catalpa. Lightning damaged the chimney of the county administration building in Culpeper. In Madison County, rainfall totals included 3.80 inches in Madison, 3.67 inches at the intersection of Robinson River and Route 29, and 2.29 inches in Hood. In Arlington County, heavy rainfall washed out a culvert and created a sinkhole. Trees were downed along streams when the waterways overflowed their banks. Flooded roads and downed power lines were reported in North Arlington where a total of 5.50 inches of rain was recorded. In Falls Church, a total of 3.05 inches of rain fell in 2 to 3 hours. Red Cross Headquarters was damaged when water flooded a portion of the building. In Prince William County, side roads were flooded by heavy downpours in Manassas. In addition, a rare sighting of ball lightning was reported by a resident of the Woodmont subdivision near Woodbridge. A woman heard a loud crack outside her 2nd story bedroom window and immediately looked out. She noticed all of the lights on her next door neighbor's home flashing on and and immediately off but knew no one was home at the time. Immediately after walking away from the window, she noted a brilliant sphere of light "like the sun" enter the room through the closed window. The sphere moved very rapidly in a straight line toward her ceiling fan where it dissipated with a deafening "cannon shot explosion". Her lights never flickered and no damage was reported.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5263498. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.