Heavy Rain in Craig County, Virginia

The NWS Cooperative station at New Castle (NWCV2) had its wettest April 13th on record with 2.54 inches for the 24-hour period ending 700 AM EST. The previous date record was 1.22 inches in 1949. It was also the 2nd wettest for any April date, with the existing April record still at 2.60 inches on April 20, 1940. Sporadic data exists back to 1907 at this site.

A strong cold front extending from a complex surface low pressure system, brought intense thunderstorms which produced damaging winds and very heavy rain on April 12-13. The heavy rains resulted from a deep plume of tropical moisture lifted northward ahead of the cold front. Heavy rain began during the evening of April 12th and exited the region shortly after sunrise on the 13th, lasting roughly a 12-hour period. Between 1.5 and 4 inches of rain fell across the mountains and foothills, with isolated 5-inch amounts along the Blue Ridge. The intense rainfall rates and rapid runoff caused widespread flash flooding of small creeks and streams. Virginia Department of Highways (VDOT) reported very significant damage to road infrastructure across numerous counties with damage totals exceeding $1.2 million.