Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Virginia, August 12, 2001

Name: Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Virginia, August 12, 2001
Start: 2001-08-12T15:00
End: 2001-08-12T19:00
Location: Virginia

August 12, 2001 · NWS LWX · 7 events in 4 counties and zones

Thunderstorms with heavy rainfall and high winds moved across Rockingham, Greene, and Madison County between 4 and 8 PM EDT on the 12th. In Rockingham County, trees were downed in Harrisonburg.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $37,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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.

Thunderstorms with heavy rainfall and high winds moved across Rockingham, Greene, and Madison County between 4 and 8 PM EDT on the 12th. In Rockingham County, trees were downed in Harrisonburg. Heavy rainfall flooded roads in Elkton and elsewhere across the eastern portion of the county. Lighting started a house fire near Bridgewater. In Greene County, winds in excess of 55 MPH caused property damage on Middle River Road in Standardsville. At Echo Valley Farm, several trees were downed and a wood and tin shed was destroyed. Airborne wood from the shed crashed through a kitchen window and the windshield of a car. Heavy rainfall flooded roads and bridges countywide. In Madison County, many trees were downed and power and phone services were interrupted. Up to 5 inches of rain flooded roads. A total of 2.90 inches of rain was reported at Big Meadows on Skyline Drive.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 12, 2:15 PM EST, 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 12, 2:15 PM EST, 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON
315 PM EDT SUN AUG 12 2001

12Z GUIDNC INDICATE ONE MORE PERIOD OF A POTENTIAL FLASH FLOOD SITU
ACRS THE CWA FOR THE OVRNGT PERIOD. THE AREA WL RMN IN THE
TROPICAL-LIKE AIR MASS OVRNGT INTO ELY MON IN ADVANCE OF THE CDFNT
WHICH IS FCST TO MOVE SLOLY ACRS THE CWA DURING MON. HENCE WL KEEP
FFA IN EFFECT ACRS THE BOARD OVRNGT THRU 12Z MON.

THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF ANY FLOODING ACRS THE CWA TDA. TWO
FACTORS HAVE SAVED THE DAY SO FAR...PERSISTENT CLDINS AND THE
ACTIVITY THAT HAS DVLPD SO FAR HAS BEEN MVG STEADILY ALG. THIS MAY
CONTINUE OVRNGT BUT THE APPROACH OF THE CDFNT ALONG WITH INCRSG UPR
DYNAMICS DICTATES STRONGER ACTVTY FOR THE OVRNGT PD.

BEYOND THE MON PERIOD THE EVOLVING PTTN WUD SUGGEST A DRYING OUT
ALONG WITH NORMAL OR SLTLY BELO TEMPS UNTIL THE APPRCH OF THE NEXT
CDFNT DURING FRI.

OTW THATS IT FOR NOW...NEXT TIME.

FCSTID = 13...PAP
DCA   73  85  68  85 /  60  40  30  20
BWI   73  85  68  85 /  60  40  30  20
MRB   70  85  63  83 /  60  30  30  20
IAD   73  85  68  85 /  60  40  30  20
CHO   73  85  68  85 /  60  40  30  20
HGR   70  85  63  83 /  60  30  30  20
NHK   73  85  68  85 /  60  40  30  20
W99   66  80  59  80 /  60  30  20  10

.LWX...
DC...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONE DCZ001.

MD...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES
MDZ002>007...MDZ009>011...MDZ013>014...MDZ016>018.

VA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES
VAZ021...VAZ025>031...VAZ036>042...VAZ050>057.

WV...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES WVZ048>055.

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, 3 flash flood, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Greene

When: August 12, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Greene County, Standardsville
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.300, -78.433

A shed, car, home, and several trees were damaged.

Thunderstorm Wind, Harrisonburg (C)

When: August 12, 4:25 PM EST
Where: Harrisonburg (C) County, Harrisonburg
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.450, -78.867

Trees were downed.

Heavy Rain, Harrisonburg (C)

When: August 12, 4:25 PM EST to 6:30 PM EST
Where: Harrisonburg (C) County, Harrisonburg
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.450, -78.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Madison

When: August 12, 5:00 PM EST to 6:30 PM EST
Where: Madison County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.414, -78.279 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Up to 5 inches of rain flooded roads.

Thunderstorm Wind, Madison

When: August 12, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Madison County, Madison
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.383, -78.267

Many trees were downed.

Flash Flood, Greene

When: August 12, 6:00 PM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where: Greene County, Countywide
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.298, -78.467 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Roads and bridges were closed by high water.

Flash Flood, Rockingham

When: August 12, 6:00 PM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where: Rockingham County, East Portion
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.512, -78.876 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Roads were flooded.

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.
Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
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

Every storm in Virginia in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Virginia, August 2001

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: 5263770, 5263771, 5263776, 5263772, 5263773, 5263774, 5263775.