Flash Flood — Rockingham, Virginia

1996-01-19 · near All, Rockingham, Virginia

Wider weather episode

An unprecedented combination, in recent history, of unseasonably warm, humid air overriding a dense snowpack estimated between 6 and 15 inches (but up to 2 feet or more at higher elevations) caused nearly all of the pack to vanish in a 12-hour period. The unseasonably warm air was drawn northward around the circulation of a deepening storm west of the Appalachians late on the 18th and early on the 19th. The melting snow and additional rainfall produced widespread flooding and flash flooding on the 19th.Strong low-level southeast flow developed by late afternoon on the 18th, and pockets of light to moderate rain occurred along the foothills. Initial flash flooding, in the form of creeks and streams out of their banks and low-lying areas covered in standing water, begain around 0000EST on the 19th. More widespread flooding ensued between 0100 and 0200EST.A pre-frontal line of heavy showers and embedded thunderstorms moved into the region shortly after dawn on the 19th, causing widespread acute flooding and flash flooding which lasted until around noon. The line of heavy precipitation moved slowly through the area between 0600 and 0900EST, prolonging the flooding. Some of the higher totals reported by automated rain gages (which contained some melted snow) were in excess of 5 inches. Montebello (Nelson Co) received 5.22 inches, Big Meadows (Page Co) had 5.12 inches, Long Run (Rockingham Co) reported 4.47 inches, and Sherando (Augusta Co) had 4.16 inches.One death was reported by Albemarle Co authorities, as a motorist lost control of his vehicle in high water and struck a tree just south of Charlottesville. High water closed numerous local roads, and several major arteries as well, including federal highway 33 near Harrisonburg (Rockingham Co). Also in Rockingham Co, authorities evacuated the main street in Broadway when a 20 ton fuel oil tank and two 1000-lb propane tanks broke loose from their moorings and began floating down the street. In Page Co, 200 residents below the Skyline Lakes Dam were evacuated as the dam threatened to break. Hundreds of roads were closed statewide due to flooding; the Virginia Department of Transportation reported 23 primaries and 250 secondaries blocked off.States of Emergency were either declared or extended for 12 counties and 2 independent cities.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5540901. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.