Virginia, 2001

Flash Flooding and Flood in Virginia, July 29 to 30, 2001

July 29 to 30, 2001 · NWS RNK · 6 events in 5 counties and zones

Heavy rain from southwest Tazewell County to central parts of the county caused numerous streams and creeks to flood. Numerous roads were closed with several washed out.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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
$350,000
Crop damage
None recorded
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.

Persistent heavy thunderstorm rains on the 29th produced flash flooding from late morning through the evening.Heavy rain from southwest Tazewell County to central parts of the county caused numerous streams and creeks to flood. Numerous roads were closed with several washed out. Several homes where damaged and 97 people were evacuated.In Smyth County, the heavy rain caused numerous streams and creeks to flood. In addition, major flooding occurred on the North Fork of the Holston River at Saltville. The river crested almost 2 feet above flood stage 11 PM on the 30th at Saltville. As a result of the flash flooding and the river flooding, numerous roads were flooded and closed with several roads washed out. 10 homes were damaged and 150 people had to be evacuated. Heavy thunderstorm rains caused small streams and roads to flood in northwest Grayson County, Wolf Creek to flood in several locations from Narrows to 7 miles west of Narrows, and Reed Creek to flood and close several roads in Wytheville.

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 Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 29, 8:37 AM EST, 2 hours 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 29, 8:37 AM EST, 2 hours 58 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG, VA
937 AM EDT SUN JUL 29 2001

QUICK LOOK AT 12Z ANALYSIS, SOUNDING DATA AND SATELLITE...WILL ISSUE
AN UPDATE THIS AM...MAINLY TO EXTEND THE FFA UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
CURRENT FFA AREA WILL REMAIN THE SAME.

APPEARS AREA OF ORGANIZED CONVECTION NOW GETTING TOGETHER OVER SE
OHIO AND CENTRAL KY WILL BE THE KEY TO FLASH FLOODING FLOODING LATER
THIS AFTN AND EVE.

.RNK...
NC...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT NCZ001-002-018.
VA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT VAZ007-009>020.
WV...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT WVZ042>045.

MG

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 114 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:37 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 flash flood, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Smyth

When
July 29, 11:35 AM EST to July 30, 2:30 AM EST
Where
Smyth County, North Portion
Property damage
$200,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
36.844, -81.537 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Tazewell

When
July 29, 11:45 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Tazewell County, Southwest Portion
Property damage
$150,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.125, -81.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Grayson

When
July 29, 2:00 PM EST to 3:15 PM EST
Where
Grayson County, Northwest Portion
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
36.657, -81.225 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Wythe

When
July 29, 5:40 PM EST to 9:30 PM EST
Where
Wythe County, Wytheville
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.917, -81.079 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Smyth

When
July 29, 6:00 PM EST to July 30, 2:30 AM EST
Where
Smyth forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
36.844, -81.537 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Giles

When
July 29, 7:00 PM EST to July 30, 2:30 AM EST
Where
Giles County, Narrows
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.314, -80.704 (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.
Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Virginia in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, July 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: 5258176, 5258175, 5258177, 5258252, 5258253, 5258251.