Debris Flow — Roanoke (c), Virginia

2021-01-26 · near Roanoke, Roanoke (c), Virginia

Event narrative

A car wash sustained severe structural damage when the hillside immediately behind the building gave way and smashed through the rear wall of the building.

Wider weather episode

A low pressure system passed across the lower mid-Atlantic during the early morning hours of January 26th, which produced 1 to 2 inches of rain across portions of the mountains of Virginia. Multiple rivers rose into Action Stage because of this rainfall, with a few rising above minor flood stage. The rain also triggered at least one known debris flow. Temperatures through much of the winter leading up to the event had often risen above freezing during the day and fallen below freezing at night, which could have enhanced the freeze-thaw cycle to weaken the integrity of rock formations.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (37.2835, -79.9244)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 930265. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.