Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, July 18, 1999

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, July 18, 1999
Start: 1999-07-18T15:00
End: 1999-07-18T17:30
Location: Virginia

July 18, 1999 · NWS RNK · 6 events in 5 counties and zones

Thunderstorm winds downed trees 1 mile north of Claudville, trees and powerlines in Roanoke, two trees onto Highway 94 in Fries, and trees across Botetourt County. Hail up to 1 1/4 inches in diameter 5 miles northeast of Cascade damaged a corn crop.

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.

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Fire, smoke and dust
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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $2,000
Events: 6

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 during the afternoon of the 18th produced damaging winds, hail up to 1 1/4 inches in diameter, and damaging lightning.Thunderstorm winds downed trees 1 mile north of Claudville, trees and powerlines in Roanoke, two trees onto Highway 94 in Fries, and trees across Botetourt County. Lightning struck a house in the northern part of Roanoke, starting a fire.Hail up to 1 1/4 inches in diameter 5 miles northeast of Cascade damaged a corn crop.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Thunderstorm Wind, Patrick

When: July 18, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Patrick County, 1 mi N of Claudville
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 36.670, -80.330

Hail, Pittsylvania

When: July 18, 3:20 PM EST
Where: Pittsylvania County, 5 mi NE of Cascade
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Crop damage: $2,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 36.620, -79.600

Thunderstorm Wind, Roanoke (C)

When: July 18, 4:15 PM EST to 4:30 PM EST
Where: Roanoke (C) County, Roanoke
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.270, -79.950

Lightning, Roanoke (C)

When: July 18, 4:20 PM EST
Where: Roanoke (C) County, Roanoke
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.271, -79.941 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Grayson

When: July 18, 4:45 PM EST
Where: Grayson County, Fries
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 36.720, -80.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Botetourt

When: July 18, 5:00 PM EST to 5:30 PM EST
Where: Botetourt County, Countywide
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 37.570, -79.780

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.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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

Every storm in Virginia in 1999 Every state in 1999 This day in weather history Warnings in Virginia, July 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: 5711902, 5711906, 5711903, 5711904, 5711905, 5711907.