Virginia, 1997

Flash Flooding in Virginia, July 1 to 2, 1997

July 1 to 2, 1997 · NWS LWX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Back-building, nearly stationary showers and thunderstorms developed over a portion of the central Shenandoah Valley during the evening of the 1st and persisted through the early morning hours of the 2nd. The cells contained ample tropical moisture, and incredible rain totals of up to 12 inches were reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$10,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.

Back-building, nearly stationary showers and thunderstorms developed over a portion of the central Shenandoah Valley during the evening of the 1st and persisted through the early morning hours of the 2nd. The cells contained ample tropical moisture, and incredible rain totals of up to 12 inches were reported. A rain gage along the Rapidan River between Madison and Greene Cos reported 8 1/2 inches of rain; other spotters reported general totals between 4 and 5 1/2 inches.Recent dry weather enabled the ground to absorb more water than usual, hence the flooding was nowhere near catastrophic, as had been the case during events of 1995 and 1996. Nonetheless, numerous creeks over spilled their banks in Greene Co, and several roads were closed. The same story was noted in western Orange Co, particularly near the town of Somerset. Madison Co escaped the brunt of this event, but still had brief creek rises which closed a few roads in the south portion.

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 93 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:00 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Madison

When
July 1, 9:00 PM EST to July 2, 12:30 AM EST
Where
Madison County, South Portion
Coordinates
38.414, -78.279 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Greene

When
July 1, 9:00 PM EST to July 2, 12:30 AM EST
Where
Greene County, Countywide
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
38.298, -78.467 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Orange

When
July 1, 10:00 PM EST to July 2, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Orange County, West Portion
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
38.246, -78.013 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Virginia in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, July 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5610984, 5610985, 5610986.