Alert archive / Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 57, NWS Blacksburg, VA

August 9, 2003Bedford County, Franklin County, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this flash flood warning at Aug 9, 2003, 2:41 AM EDT for Bedford County, Franklin County, Virginia. It was in force for 4 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Aug 9, 2003, 2:41 AM EDT (06:41 UTC)
Expired
Aug 9, 2003, 6:30 AM EDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Bedford County, VA, Franklin County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 47 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:44 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 00:00Z, 6.7 hours before the alert went out and 25 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Roanoke, VA at 00:00Z on 2003-08-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 428 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Roanoke, VA at 00:00Z on 2003-08-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 29 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
428 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-25 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
770 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
29 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
52 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WGUS51 KRNK 090644
FFWRNK
VAC019-067-091030-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
241 AM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA   
  SOUTHERN BEDFORD COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 630 AM EDT

* AT 240 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED 
  THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN CONTINUING TO REGENERATE
  OVER NORTHERN FRANKLIN AND SOUTHERN BEDFORD COUNTIES. RADAR
  ESTIMATES SHOW THAT UP TO ONE AND A HALF TO TWO INCHES OF 
  RAIN HAD FALLEN IN THESE AREAS SINCE 130 AM. THE HEAVY RAIN
  FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING ALONG THE
  FOLLOWING CREEKS...BEAVER DAM CREEK AND STONY CREEK IN BEDFORD
  COUNTY...AND GILLS CREEK IN FRANKLIN COUNTY.

* SOME LOCATIONS THREATENED BY FLASH FLOODING THROUGH 630 AM EDT 
  INCLUDE
  STEWARTSVILLE...
  CHAMBLISSBURG...
  RED VALLEY...

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.

RELAY REPORTS OF FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
BLACKSBURG BY CALLING TOLL FREE...1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4.

LAT...LON 3728 7963 3702 7969 3706 8007 3718 7986
          3729 7982

$$

05
3 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS71 KRNK 090851
FFSRNK
VAC019-067-091000-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
448 AM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES UNTIL
600 AM EDT...

  NORTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA
  SOUTHERN BEDFORD COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA

AT 445 AM EDT...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY
RAIN MOVING NORTH THROUGH FRANKLIN COUNTY. RADAR HAS ESTIMATED THAT 
TWO TO FOUR INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN SINCE 100 AM ACROSS NORTHERN 
FRANKLIN AND SOUTHERN BEDFORD COUNTIES. AN ADDITIONAL ONE HALF TO 
ONE AND A HALF INCHES WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREAS 
THROUGH 545 AM. 

FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED GILLS CREEK OUT OF ITS BANKS NEAR 
THE TAYLORS STORE AREA...ALONG HIGHWAY 122. BEDFORD COUNTY SHERIFFS 
REPORTED DEBRIS IN THE ROAD NEAR STEWARTSVILLE AND MONETA. FLASH 
FLOODING OF STREAMS AND CREEKS IN THE WARNED AREA CAN BE EXPECTED 
UNTIL 6 AM.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED. MOVE TO
HIGHER GROUND.

RELAY YOUR REPORTS OF FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4.

$$

WP
000 
WGUS71 KRNK 090856 CCA
FFSRNK
VAC019-067-091030-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
448 AM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES UNTIL
630 AM EDT...

  NORTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA
  SOUTHERN BEDFORD COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA

AT 445 AM EDT...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY
RAIN MOVING NORTH THROUGH FRANKLIN COUNTY. RADAR HAS ESTIMATED THAT 
TWO TO FOUR INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN SINCE 100 AM ACROSS NORTHERN 
FRANKLIN AND SOUTHERN BEDFORD COUNTIES. AN ADDITIONAL ONE HALF TO 
ONE AND A HALF INCHES WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREAS 
THROUGH 545 AM. 

FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED GILLS CREEK OUT OF ITS BANKS NEAR 
THE TAYLORS STORE AREA...ALONG HIGHWAY 122. BEDFORD COUNTY SHERIFFS 
REPORTED DEBRIS IN THE ROAD NEAR STEWARTSVILLE AND MONETA. FLASH 
FLOODING OF STREAMS AND CREEKS IN THE WARNED AREA CAN BE EXPECTED 
UNTIL 6 AM.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED. MOVE TO
HIGHER GROUND.

RELAY YOUR REPORTS OF FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4.

$$
CORRECTED END OF WARNING TIME
WP
000 
WGUS71 KRNK 091031
FFSRNK
VAC019-067-091100-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
630 AM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WHICH WAS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN FRANKLIN 
AND SOUTHWESTERN BEDFORD COUNTIES HAS EXPIRED AS OF 6:30 AM EDT...

THE HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA. STREAMS AND CREEKS IN
THE WARNED AREA HAVE RECEDED OR WERE BEGINNING TO RECEDE...ENDING THE
FLASH FLOOD THREAT. EVEN THOUGH STREAMS AND CREEKS WERE 
RECEDING...SOME ROADWAYS STILL MAY BE COVERED WITH WATER...OR 
DEBRIS. MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO AVOID DRIVING THROUGH FLOODED 
ROADWAYS OR AROUND BARRICADES.

AT 620 AM EDT...FRANKLIN COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED 
ROADS CLOSED NEAR CALLAWAY AND NEAR BURNT CHIMNEY. THE BEDFORD 
COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT REPORTED CREEKS HAS RECEDED BACK INTO 
THEIR BANKS...BUT ROADS WERE PARTIALLY WASHED OUT NEAR GOODVIEW. 

RELAY YOUR REPORTS OF FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY 
CALLING TOLL FREE...1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4.

$$

AMS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 9, 4:18 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKCharlotte3 hr
Aug 9, 5:49 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKBland2 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Virginia, 2003Every flash flood warning in 2003

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.