Flash Flood — Tazewell, Virginia

2015-07-05 · near Pocahontas, Tazewell, Virginia

Event narrative

Laurel Creek flooded about half of the town of Pocahontas. 25 homes, 5 businesses and 2 mobile homes were damaged or destroyed. Total damage estimates reached $3.5 million, primarily due to a single business that was uninsured and destroyed. Multiple roads across northeast Tazewell County were reported to be closed due to flooding and mudslides as well.

Wider weather episode

Heavy rainfall developed across portions of the southern Appalachian mountains as clearing ahead of a slow-moving surface low over the Cumberland Gap allowed instabilities to rise into the 2000 J/Kg range along with good upper divergence. Developing storms and cell mergers produced rainfall rates of 1.5'/hr with totals up to 3-4' in isolated storms. A Flash Flood Warning was issued for Tazewell County at 737 PM EDT where radar had showed 1 to 2 inches of rain had fallen with more expected. Total rainfall amounts reached 2.5 to 3 inches in a 3-hour period ending around 02z (10 PM on the 5th) over parts of northeastern Tazewell County which produced substantial flash flooding and debris flows in several locations. The worst flooding occurred along Laurel Fork near the town of Pocahontas where 25 homes, 5 businesses and 2 mobile homes were damaged or destroyed.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (37.3020, -81.3502)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 596731. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.