Virginia, 1999

Damaging Winds in Virginia, May 22, 1999

May 22, 1999 · NWS LWX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Low pressure over the Ohio River Valley produced a line of thunderstorms that moved across Northern Virginia during the early evening. The strongest thunderstorms moved across Rappahannock, Culpeper, and Albemarle County and produced frequent lightning, heavy downpours, and wind gusts over 55 MPH.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
$23,000
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.

Low pressure over the Ohio River Valley produced a line of thunderstorms that moved across Northern Virginia during the early evening. The strongest thunderstorms moved across Rappahannock, Culpeper, and Albemarle County and produced frequent lightning, heavy downpours, and wind gusts over 55 MPH. A resident of Rappahannock County reported the passing storms downed trees around 4:05 PM EDT. Law enforcement officials reported several trees and power lines downed across the northern part of Culpeper County around 4:10 PM EDT. Around 8:15 PM EDT, storms downed several trees and caused power outages across Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville. One fallen tree blocked a lane of traffic on U.S. Highway 64 west of Charlottesville, and another blocked Mosley Drive. The storm dropped three quarters of an inch of rain in Charlottesville.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Culpeper

When
May 22, 3:10 PM EST
Where
Culpeper County, North Portion
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.600, -77.980

Trees and powerlines downed

Thunderstorm Wind, Charlottesville (C)

When
May 22, 7:15 PM EST
Where
Charlottesville (C) County, Charlottesville
Property damage
$4,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
38.030, -78.500

Trees downed

Thunderstorm Wind, Albemarle

When
May 22, 7:15 PM EST
Where
Albemarle County, Countywide
Property damage
$4,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
37.980, -78.620

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Virginia in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, May 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: 5697564, 5697565, 5697566.