Thunderstorms that produced winds in excess of 55 MPH, hail, and heavy downpours moved through a portion of Northern Virginia during the afternoon of the 25th. In Spotsylvania County, downed trees and power lines were downed across a two mile stretch along Route 208 (Blockhouse Road).
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.
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.
The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.
Thunderstorms that produced winds in excess of 55 MPH, hail, and heavy downpours moved through a portion of Northern Virginia during the afternoon of the 25th. In Spotsylvania County, downed trees and power lines were downed across a two mile stretch along Route 208 (Blockhouse Road). Trees were also downed in Snell, Spotsylvania Courthouse, and Fredericksburg. Dime sized hail was reported in Fredericksburg and hail between one quarter and one half inch fell in Snell, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Massaponax, and Thornburg. In Stafford County, scattered trees were downed and pea sized hail was reported. In Prince William County, about 4 miles east of Manassas, heavy rainfall caused a large mudslide at the intersection of Bear Drive and Yatesford Road. In Fairfax County, a funnel cloud was spotted at the intersection of Route 7 and Spring Hill Road in Tyson's Corner. Rainfall totals included 2.50 inches in Vienna, 2.10 inches at Ft. Belvoir, and 1.64 inches in Lorton. In Alexandria, the combination of heavy rainfall and high tide resulted in temporary flooding in Old Town.
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 May 25, 9:10 AM EST, 4 hours 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON 1010 AM EDT FRI MAY 25 2001 ERLY MRNG FCST PCKG LUKS IN GUD SHAPE. SEEMS TO BE SOME SIMILARITY BTWN THIS MRNGS WX MAP AND WHAT WE HAD THREE DAYS AGO...WHEN SVR WX HIT A LARGE PART OF THE AREA TUE AFTN. LOW CONTS TO SPIN OVR THE UPR MIDWEST WITH A FNTL BNDRY STRETCHING FM ERN OH DOWN TOWARDS THE FL PANHANDLE AND LTNG OVR THE CAROLINAS. ONE DIFF ATTM IS A LTL MORE CLD CVR EVIDENT ON STLT TO THE SW OF DC WHICH COULD HELP TO KEEP SFC TEMPS DOWN..BUT LIKE THREE DAYS AGO THERE ARE GOOD UPR DYNAMICS. WRDG OF PSBL SVR IN THE LATE AFTN WL RMN IN THE FCST. RMDR OF FCST UNCHGD. DCA 75 60 76 59 / 70 80 70 40 BWI 73 58 74 58 / 70 80 80 40 MRB 71 57 72 57 / 90 70 70 30 IAD 74 58 75 57 / 70 80 70 40 CHO 73 58 75 57 / 70 80 70 40 HGR 68 56 71 55 / 90 70 70 30 NHK 74 61 77 61 / 40 60 60 40 .LWX...NONE. WOODY
DCZ001-MDZ002>007-009>011-013-014-016>018-VAZ021-025>031-036>042- 050>057-WVZ048>055-252130- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON 1134 AM EDT FRI MAY 25 2001 ...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS OUTLOOKED MUCH OF VIRGINIA... MARYLAND..THE EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA..AND WASHINGTON DC WITH A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. MOIST...UNSTABLE AIR AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WILL TRIGGER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE AREA. THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND SPREAD EASTWARD LATE IN THE DAY. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED CONTINUE AFTER SUNSET...ESPECIALLY IN THE WASHINGTON-BALTIMORE METROPOLITAN AREA. STRONG WIND GUSTS...IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...WILL BE THE MAJOR THREAT. HAIL GREATER THAN THREE-QUARTERS OF AN INCH IN DIAMETER IS ALSO POSSIBLE. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN...RESULTING IN RAPID RISES ON CREEKS AND SMALLER RIVERS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/ER/LWX ABW
The Sterling radar (KLWX), 30 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:24 UTC.
3 heavy rain, 3 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
A large mud slide at the intersection of Bear Drive and Yatesford Road closed both roads.
Route 208 and Blockhouse Road were closed for two miles by downed power lines and trees. Trees were also downed in Snell and Spotsylvania Courthouse.
Dime sized hail fell.
The combination of heavy rainfall and high tide led to temporary flooding in Old Town.
Scattered trees were downed.
Trees were downed.
A funnel cloud was spotted at the intersection of Route 7 and Spring Hill Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, May 2001
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: 5249094, 5249157, 5249153, 5249154, 5249159, 5249156, 5249155, 5249158.