Virginia, 1998

Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, July 22, 1998

July 22, 1998 · NWS RNK · 9 events in 6 counties and zones

A lightning strike damaged electronic equipment at a residence two miles south of Blacksburg.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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
$42,000
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.

Thunderstorms on the 22nd produced damaging winds, damaging lightning, and hail up to nickel size.Thunderstorms winds toppled two 1.5 foot diameter trees onto highway 611 in Appomattox, trees and power lines onto highway 221 in Forest, large trees and power lines onto highway 47 in Cullen, flipped over 2 single engine planes and damaged a third at the Virginia Tech Airport in Blacksburg, toppled trees causing power outages in Virgilina, and downed power lines and downed a tree through the roof of a house in Salem.A lightning strike damaged electronic equipment at a residence two miles south of Blacksburg.

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 37 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:16 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Salem (C)

When
July 22, 2:15 PM EST
Where
Salem (C) County, Salem (C)
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.300, -80.050

Thunderstorm Wind, Montgomery

When
July 22, 2:22 PM EST
Where
Montgomery County, Blacksburg
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
37.230, -80.420

Thunderstorm Wind, Montgomery

When
July 22, 2:28 PM EST
Where
Montgomery County, Blacksburg
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
37.230, -80.420

Thunderstorm Wind, Halifax

When
July 22, 2:30 PM EST
Where
Halifax County, Virgilina
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
36.550, -78.780

Lightning, Montgomery

When
July 22, 2:30 PM EST
Where
Montgomery County, 2 mi S of Blacksburg
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
37.174, -80.387 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Bedford

When
July 22, 2:38 PM EST
Where
Bedford County, Forest
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
37.370, -79.280

Thunderstorm Wind, Appomattox

When
July 22, 3:55 PM EST
Where
Appomattox County, Appomattox
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates
37.350, -78.830

Thunderstorm Wind, Charlotte

When
July 22, 4:10 PM EST
Where
Charlotte County, Cullen
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
37.120, -78.650

Hail, Charlotte

When
July 22, 4:10 PM EST
Where
Charlotte County, Cullen
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.120, -78.650

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Virginia in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, July 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: 5658695, 5658764, 5658693, 5658694, 5658765, 5658690, 5658689, 5658691, 5658692.