Alert archive / Virginia / Flood Watches in 2009

Flood Watch 2, NWS Blacksburg, VA

May 3, 200929 counties in Virginia; 5 counties in North Carolina; Mercer County, Monroe County, Summers County, West Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this flood watch at May 3, 2009, 10:43 PM EDT for 29 counties in Virginia; 5 counties in North Carolina; Mercer County, Monroe County, Summers County, West Virginia. It was in force for 13 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 3, 2009, 10:43 PM EDT (02:43 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 2009, 12:00 PM EDT
In force
13 hr
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Flood severity
None
All 37 counties

Alleghany County, NC, Ashe County, NC, Surry County, NC, Watauga County, NC, Wilkes County, NC, Alleghany County, VA, Amherst County, VA, Bath County, VA, Bedford County, VA, Bland County, VA, Botetourt County, VA, Carroll County, VA, City of Buena Vista, VA, City of Covington, VA, City of Galax, VA, City of Lexington, VA, City of Martinsville, VA, City of Radford, VA, City of Roanoke, VA, City of Salem, VA, Craig County, VA, Floyd County, VA, Franklin County, VA, Giles County, VA, Grayson County, VA, Henry County, VA, Montgomery County, VA, Patrick County, VA, Pulaski County, VA, Roanoke County, VA, Rockbridge County, VA, Smyth County, VA, Tazewell County, VA, Wythe County, VA, Mercer County, WV, Monroe County, WV, Summers County, WV

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 19 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:44 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

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 2.7 hours before the alert went out and 126 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 00:00Z on 2009-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 987 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 00:00Z on 2009-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 54 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
987 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
965 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
54 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
112 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
1.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flood watch went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flood watch went out at May 3, 10:35 PM EDT, 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 3, 10:35 PM EDT, 8 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 3, 3:35 PM EDT, 7 hours 8 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
335 PM EDT SUN MAY 3 2009

VAZ007-WVZ042>045-041945-
TAZEWELL-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE-GREENBRIER-
335 PM EDT SUN MAY 3 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND
SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN TO DEVELOP OVER PARTS OF
THE AREA TONIGHT. RUNOFF WILL LIKELY RESULT IN RISING STREAM
AND RIVER LEVELS. FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS MAY BECOME AN ISSUE
IF THE RAIN PERSISTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

HEAVY RAIN AND RISING STREAM LEVELS ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY.

AFTER MONDAY...THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS
WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

NCZ001-002-018-VAZ009>020-022>024-041945-
ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-WATAUGA-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-
GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD-CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-
ROCKBRIDGE-
335 PM EDT SUN MAY 3 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST NORTH
CAROLINA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN TO DEVELOP OVER PARTS OF
THE AREA TONIGHT. RUNOFF WILL LIKELY RESULT IN RISING STREAM
LEVELS. FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS MAY BECOME AN ISSUE IF THE RAIN
PERSISTS. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS IS
ALSO POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

HEAVY RAIN AND RISING STREAM LEVELS ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY.

AFTER MONDAY...THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS
WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

NCZ003>006-019-020-VAZ032>035-043>047-058-059-041945-
SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WILKES-YADKIN-PATRICK-FRANKLIN-
BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-
HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
335 PM EDT SUN MAY 3 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH
CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH
CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN TO DEVELOP OVER PARTS OF
THE AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT. RUNOFF WILL LIKELY RESULT IN RISING
STREAM LEVELS AND PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS IN POOR DRAINAGE
AREAS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

HEAVY RAIN AND RISING STREAM LEVELS ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY.

AFTER MONDAY...THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS
WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 3, 8:17 PM EDT, 2 hours 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
817 PM EDT SUN MAY 3 2009

NCZ004-005-VAZ032-043-040100-
HENRY VA-PATRICK VA-ROCKINGHAM NC-STOKES NC-
817 PM EDT SUN MAY 3 2009

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT HENRY...PATRICK...ROCKINGHAM AND
STOKES COUNTIES...

AT 814 PM EDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG A LINE FROM 4 MILES
NORTHWEST OF SANDY RIDGE TO 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SANDY RIDGE TO 5
MILES SOUTHWEST OF DANBURY...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. VERY HEAVY RAIN
WILL FALL FROM THESE STORMS...AND WILL CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS
AND QUICKLY FILL ROADSIDE DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS.

THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR MEADOWS AROUND 825 PM...AYERSVILLE AROUND
830 PM...MAYODAN AROUND 840 PM...AND STONEVILLE AROUND 845 PM.

IF TRAVELING...BE PREPARED FOR POOR VISIBILITIES.

LAT...LON 3638 8041 3647 8027 3664 8025 3660 7970
      3655 7971 3655 7961 3642 7962 3629 7979

EXPERIMENTAL

WP
Local storm report, May 3, 9:14 PM EDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 3, 9:17 PM EDT, 1 hour 26 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 3, 9:52 PM EDT, 51 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 3, 10:14 PM EDT, 29 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 3, 10:41 PM EDT, 2 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 3, 10:41 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKBedford, Floyd, Franklin, Roanoke, City of Lynchburg, City of Roanoke and 1 more64 min
May 3, 10:56 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKGrayson, Smyth, Wythe64 min
May 3, 11:52 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKAppomattox, Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, City of Lynchburg53 min
May 4, 12:44 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKAmherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Botetourt, Buckingham, Craig and 8 more61 min
May 4, 6:36 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKCity of Danville24 min
May 4, 6:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKHalifax, Pittsylvania32 min
May 4, 7:15 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKPittsylvania, City of Danville60 min
May 4, 7:36 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKCity of Danville24 min
May 3, 8:17 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKRockingham, Stokes43 min
May 3, 8:56 PM EDTTornado WarningRNKCaswell, Rockingham49 min
May 4, 4:18 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKWilkes42 min
May 4, 4:24 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKSurry, Wilkes, Yadkin66 min
May 4, 4:59 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKWatauga46 min

Nearby

Flood Watches in Virginia, 2009Flood Watches in North Carolina, 2009Flood Watches in West Virginia, 2009Every flood watch in 2009

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.