Flash Flood, Roanoke
- When
- June 1, 2:00 PM EST to 3:30 PM EST
- Where
- Roanoke County, 1 mi ENE of Bennett Spgs
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Coordinates
- 37.209, -80.051 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flooding in Virginia, June 1, 1997
In Rockbridge County, heavy rainfall flooded several creeks, a few homes, and the Glasgow fire station, stranded people, damaged roads, flooded basements, and resulted in evacuations. Flash flooding damaged route 620, six miles east of Buchanan, flooded roads in and around Fincastle, and damaged roads and stranded people from one mile east-northeast of Bennett Springs to Bennett Springs.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $230,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 9
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 RNK wrote it up.
Heavy rainfall during the afternoon and evening hours on the 1st resulted in flash flooding.Runoff from rainfall resulted in several mudslides in Alleghany County, flooded several roads 5 miles north-northwest of Cave Spring, flooded roads and resulted in 4 to 5 inches of water in the police station in Covington, and flooded several roads near Jordan Mines in Alleghany County.In Rockbridge County, heavy rainfall flooded several creeks, a few homes, and the Glasgow fire station, stranded people, damaged roads, flooded basements, and resulted in evacuations. A tour group at Natural Bridge had to evacuate in knee deep water.Flash flooding damaged route 620, six miles east of Buchanan, flooded roads in and around Fincastle, and damaged roads and stranded people from one mile east-northeast of Bennett Springs to Bennett Springs. Peters Creek in Roanoke City was flooded as well.
The radar
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 29 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:59 UTC.
Event by event
9 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flash Flood, Roanoke
- When
- June 1, 2:15 PM EST to 3:15 PM EST
- Where
- Roanoke County, 5 mi NNW of Cave Spg
- Coordinates
- 37.209, -80.051 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Covington (C)
- When
- June 1, 2:15 PM EST to 4:00 PM EST
- Where
- Covington (C) County, Covington
- Property damage
- $3,000
- Coordinates
- 37.794, -79.994 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Alleghany
- When
- June 1, 2:15 PM EST to 4:00 PM EST
- Where
- Alleghany County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $2,000
- Coordinates
- 37.788, -80.007 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Alleghany
- When
- June 1, 2:35 PM EST to 3:30 PM EST
- Where
- Alleghany County, Jordan Mines
- Coordinates
- 37.788, -80.007 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Botetourt
- When
- June 1, 3:00 PM EST to 4:30 PM EST
- Where
- Botetourt County, Fincastle
- Coordinates
- 37.557, -79.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Botetourt
- When
- June 1, 3:15 PM EST to 4:00 PM EST
- Where
- Botetourt County, 6 mi E of Buchanan
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 37.557, -79.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Rockbridge
- When
- June 1, 4:50 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Rockbridge County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $200,000
- Coordinates
- 37.815, -79.448 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Roanoke (C)
- When
- June 1, 10:15 PM EST to 11:00 PM EST
- Where
- Roanoke (C) County, Roanoke
- Coordinates
- 37.271, -79.941 (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
- Flash Flooding in West Virginia, June 1, 1997
- Flooding in Idaho, June 1 to 30, 1997
- Flash Flooding in Ohio, June 1 to 2, 1997
- Flash Flooding in Ohio, June 1, 1997
- Flood in Ohio, June 1 to 3, 1997
- Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 1997
- Flooding in Idaho, June 1 to 15, 1997
- Tornadoes and Hail in North Dakota, June 1 to 30, 1997
- Flooding in Ohio, June 1 to 6, 1997
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Florida, June 1, 1997
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Colorado, June 1 to 2, 1997
- Cold in Georgia, June 1 to 11, 1997
More
Every storm in Virginia in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, June 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: 5605931, 5605923, 5605925, 5605928, 5605924, 5605929, 5605930, 5605926, 5605927.