Flood in Roanoke (c) County, Virginia

The Roanoke River at Roanoke (RONV2) gage crested at 10.58 feet (Minor Flood Stage = 10 ft.) near midday on the 23rd. The bike trail along the river was closed due to flood waters and the low water brdige at Wiley Drive was well under water.

A powerful upper low developed over the south central states late on January 21st with an intense surface low tracking from Arkansas to the northern mid-Atlantic coast over the next few days. Storm total rainfall ranged from 1 to 4 inches with locally higher amounts across the Blacksburg CWA during the 48-hour period ending 7 PM on the 24th. Record daily rainfall records were set for January 23rd at Roanoke Airport (1.87'; old record 0.91' set in 1999), Bluefield Airport (1.53'; old record 0.91' set in 2002) and Blacksburg NWS (1.32'; old record 0.88' set in 1954). Flooding was generally minor and concentrated in the Roanoke metro area and on the lower reaches of several rivers.