Flash Flooding and Winter Storm in Virginia, March 21, 2001

Name: Flash Flooding and Winter Storm in Virginia, March 21, 2001
Start: 2001-03-21T00:00
End: 2001-03-21T16:00
Location: Virginia

March 21, 2001 · NWS LWX · 38 events in 29 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 35 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 38

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 Nor'easter moved from the North Carolina Coast to New England from the 20th to the 22nd. As it passed by the Mid Atlantic region, it dropped heavy precipitation between midnight and mid afternoon on the 21st. Below 2000 feet, the precipitation fell in the form of rain. Across the Shenandoah Valley and just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the storm system dropped between 2 and 5 inches of rain which resulted in flash flooding. Some of the highest regional rainfall totals included 5.48 inches at Robinson Hollow in Augusta County, 4.44 inches at Big Meadows in Page County, 4.36 inches at Strasburg Reservoir in Shenandoah County, and 3.13 inches at Waynesboro. Numerous roads and low water crossings were closed by high water in Frederick, Augusta, Page, Shenandoah, Warren, Culpeper, Fauquier, Rappahannock, Orange, Madison, Rockingham, and Clarke Counties. Rainfall amounts between 1 and 2.5 inches were reported across the Central Piedmont and across counties bordering the Potomac River. In Stafford County, River Road and Route 607 were flooded. In Loudoun County, portions of Route 652, 653, 607, 746, 790 were covered by water. In Alexandria, portions of King Street were closed by high water. Above 2000 feet, a rain/snow mix was reported. Snowfall accumulations of 4 to 8 inches were documented across Highland and western Augusta Counties. Along Skyline Drive, 2 to 5 inches of snow fell. After the precipitation ended on the 21st, northwest winds increased to between 25 and 45 MPH. Recorded wind gusts included 47 MPH at New Market in Shenandoah County, 44 MPH at Charlottesville and Washington Reagan National Airport, and 41 MPH at Dulles International Airport in Loudoun County. The gusty winds downed a tree onto a shed near Conicville in Shenandoah County. In Fairfax County, a tree was downed onto a power line in Woodbridge and Springfield and a tree fell onto the Fairfax County Parkway. In the city of Fairfax, a downed tree blocked a portion of Gunpowder Road.

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 Mar 20, 9:45 PM EST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 20, 9:45 PM EST, 2 hours 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON
945 PM EST TUE MAR 20 2001

12Z MDLS/18Z ETA/OBSVD DATA ALL IN LN W/ GOING FCST. ZFP UPDT WL
LRGLY BE TO FRSHN WRDG AS PCPN HAS DVLPD...OR WL IN NXT HR.

MOST IMPRESSIVE ITEM NOT ALREADY COVERED WL BE THE WND. 50+ KT H9
JET PROGGED TO WRAP ARND WELL STACKED SYSTM OFF CAPE HATTERAS BY
21/12Z. THIS LLJ WL BE SWEEPING ACRS CWFA DURING THE DAY TMRW.  AM
REAL TEMPTED TO ISSUE 2ND PD WND ADVSRY. ONLY CATCH IS STBL MARINE
FLW NOT BEST ENVIRONMENT FOR MIXING...BUT STRGTH OF LO SHUD
COMPENSATE FOR THAT. WL DEFER TO NXT SHIFT.

UPDTD PRODUCTS PRBLY OUT BY 1030-ISH. GNGT

.LWX...
DC...NONE.
MD...WINTER STORM WARNING TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY FOR MDZ002.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY FOR MDZ003.

VA...WINTER STORM WARNING TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY FOR VAZ021
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY FOR
     VAZ025>031...VAZ036>040.

WV...WINTER STORM WARNING TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY FOR
     WVZ048...WVZ049...WV054
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY FOR
     WVZ050>053...WVZ055.

MARINE...SCA ALL WATERS.

HTS

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

16 flash flood, 11 heavy rain, 6 strong wind, 3 winter storm, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Highland

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Highland forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm, Augusta

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Augusta forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.109, -78.974 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Page

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Page forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.620, -78.484 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Nelson

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Nelson forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.787, -78.887 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Madison

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.414, -78.279 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Highland

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Highland County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.362, -79.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Albemarle

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Albemarle County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.023, -78.556 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Charlottesville (C)

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Charlottesville (C) County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.029, -78.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Greene

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Greene County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.298, -78.467 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Stafford

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Stafford County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.421, -77.457 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Loudoun

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Loudoun County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.091, -77.636 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Fairfax

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Fairfax County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.835, -77.276 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Fairfax (C)

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Fairfax (C) County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.846, -77.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Alexandria (C)

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Alexandria (C) County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.805, -77.047 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Prince William

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Prince William County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.702, -77.478 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Manassas (C)

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Manassas (C) County, Manassas
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.751, -77.475 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Albemarle

When: March 21, 7:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Albemarle forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 38.029, -78.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Shenandoah

When: March 21, 7:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Shenandoah forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 38.858, -78.571 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Prince William

When: March 21, 7:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Prince William forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind, Fairfax

When: March 21, 7:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Fairfax forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 38.841, -77.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Arlington

When: March 21, 7:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Arlington forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 38.855, -77.106 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Loudoun

When: March 21, 7:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Loudoun forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Flash Flood, Augusta

When: March 21, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Augusta County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.165, -79.134 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Staunton (C)

When: March 21, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Staunton (C) County, Staunton
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.149, -79.060 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Waynesboro (C)

When: March 21, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Waynesboro (C) County, Waynesboro
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.069, -78.889 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Rockingham

When: March 21, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Rockingham County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.512, -78.876 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Harrisonburg (C)

When: March 21, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 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, Orange

When: March 21, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Orange County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.246, -78.013 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Madison

When: March 21, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Madison County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.414, -78.279 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Culpeper

When: March 21, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Culpeper County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.486, -77.956 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Rappahannock

When: March 21, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Rappahannock County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.685, -78.159 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Page

When: March 21, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Page County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.620, -78.484 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Shenandoah

When: March 21, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Shenandoah County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.858, -78.571 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Fauquier

When: March 21, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Fauquier County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.739, -77.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Warren

When: March 21, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Warren County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.909, -78.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Clarke

When: March 21, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Clarke County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.112, -77.997 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Frederick

When: March 21, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Frederick County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.205, -78.263 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Winchester (C)

When: March 21, 10:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Winchester (C) County, Winchester
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.186, -78.163 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
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, March 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: 5239484, 5239485, 5239486, 5239487, 5239488, 5239511, 5239512, 5239513, 5239514, 5239594, 5239595, 5239596, 5239597, 5239598, 5239599, 5239600, 5239489, 5239490, 5239491, 5239492, 5239493, 5239494, 5239495, 5239496, 5239497, 5239498, 5239499, 5239500, 5239501, 5239502, 5239503, 5239504, 5239505, 5239506, 5239507, 5239508, 5239509, 5239510.