Flood, Roanoke / Salem / Roanoke
- When
- February 17, 4:45 PM EST to February 20, 2:00 PM EST
- Where
- Roanoke / Salem / Roanoke forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.258, -80.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flooding in Virginia, February 17 to 20, 1998
Heavy rainfall on the 16th and the morning and afternoon hours on the 17th resulted in minor to moderate flooding on portions of the Roanoke River. The Roanoke River crested about one-third foot above flood stage at Roanoke at 1715 EST on the 17th, about one and a half feet above flood stage at Brookneal around 0200 EST on the the 18th, and almost four feet above flood stage at Randolph at 2000…
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 4
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 on the 16th and the morning and afternoon hours on the 17th resulted in minor to moderate flooding on portions of the Roanoke River. The Roanoke River crested about one-third foot above flood stage at Roanoke at 1715 EST on the 17th, about one and a half feet above flood stage at Brookneal around 0200 EST on the the 18th, and almost four feet above flood stage at Randolph at 2000 EST on the 18th.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
4 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flood, Campbell / Lynchburg
- When
- February 17, 4:45 PM EST to February 20, 2:00 PM EST
- Where
- Campbell / Lynchburg forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.310, -79.119 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood, Charlotte
- When
- February 17, 4:45 PM EST to February 20, 2:00 PM EST
- Where
- Charlotte forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.012, -78.662 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood, Halifax
- When
- February 17, 4:45 PM EST to February 20, 2:00 PM EST
- Where
- Halifax forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.767, -78.937 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Flood
- Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Winter Storm in North Carolina, February 17 to 18, 1998
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Florida, February 17, 1998
- Flooding in Michigan, February 17 to 18, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Florida, February 17, 1998
- Storm Surge in Ohio, February 17 to 18, 1998
- Tornado in Florida, February 17, 1998
- Tornado in Florida, February 17, 1998
- Tornado in Florida, February 17, 1998
- Tornado in Georgia, February 17, 1998
- Flood in Florida, February 17 to 28, 1998
- Tornado and Hail in Virginia, February 17, 1998
- Flood in Florida, February 17 to 28, 1998
More
Every storm in Virginia in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, February 1998
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: 5635172, 5635173, 5635174, 5635175.