Name: Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Virginia, August 26, 1999
Start: 1999-08-26T17:00
End: 1999-08-26T21:00
Location: Virginia

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: $13,000
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.

A line of thunderstorms moved across extreme northern Virginia from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT, producing damaging winds and very heavy rain. Winds in excess of 55 MPH blew across Loudoun County, downing trees. A fallen tree blocked Snickersville Turnpike at the intersection of Jeb Stuart Road in Philomont. Several trees were downed across Green Garden Road and Piney Swamp near Middleburg. Dulles International Airport picked up 1.35 inches of rain from the storm. These same thunderstorms dumped a quick 2 inches of rain in Reagan National Airport in Arlington, and flooded the George Washington Memorial Parkway between Old Town Alexandria and the 14th Street Bridge. Park police had to hire tow trucks to remove 40 stranded vehicles from the flooded roadway.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Loudoun

When: August 26, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Loudoun County, Philomont
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.050, -77.730

Tree downed across Snickersville Turnpike at the intersection of Jeb Stuart Road

Flash Flood, Alexandria (C)

When: August 26, 5:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Alexandria (C) County, North Portion
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.805, -77.047 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Rapidly rising water closed the George Washington Memorial Parkway and stranded 40 cars

Thunderstorm Wind, Loudoun

When: August 26, 5:10 PM EST
Where: Loudoun County, 7 mi NW of Middleburg
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.030, -77.870

Trees downed across Green Garden Road and Piney Swamp Road

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.
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 1999 Every state in 1999 This day in weather history Warnings in Virginia, August 1999

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: 5718775, 5718777, 5718776.