Flash Flood, Salem
- When
- March 21, 12:20 AM EST to 2:00 AM EST
- Where
- Salem County, Salem
- Coordinates
- 37.294, -80.055 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood and Lightning Strike in Virginia, March 21, 1998
Flash flooding resulted in the evacuation of the Riverland Trailer Park in Salem. A lightning strike started a fire which severely damaged a home two miles south of Raphine.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
- $20,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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 again developed during the late evening hours on the 20th and resulted in flash flooding in Salem and damaging lighting in Rockbridge County.Flash flooding resulted in the evacuation of the Riverland Trailer Park in Salem. A lightning strike started a fire which severely damaged a home two miles south of Raphine.
The radar
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 36 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:20 UTC.
Event by event
1 flash flood, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning, Rockbridge
- When
- March 21, 2:00 AM EST
- Where
- Rockbridge County, 2 mi S of Raphine
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Coordinates
- 37.815, -79.448 (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.
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flooding in Oregon, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Flood in Florida, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Heavy Snow in New York, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Flood in Florida, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Flood in Florida, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Vermont, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Heavy Snow in New York, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Maine, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in Massachusetts, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Winter Storm in New York, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Heavy Snow in New Hampshire, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Strong Wind in Rhode Island, March 21 to 22, 1998
More
Every storm in Virginia in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, March 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: 5638153, 5638154.