Virginia, 2002

Damaging Winds and Heavy Rain in Virginia, July 27, 2002

July 27, 2002 · NWS LWX · 5 events in 4 counties and zones

Thunderstorms with damaging winds and heavy rainfall moved through Northern Virginia between 1 and 4 PM EDT on the 27th. In Frederick County, standing water covered roads in Winchester after a heavy downpour.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$8,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 damaging winds and heavy rainfall moved through Northern Virginia between 1 and 4 PM EDT on the 27th. In Frederick County, standing water covered roads in Winchester after a heavy downpour. Winds estimated between 40 and 45 MPH were also reported. In Clarke County, twenty trees were downed in Boyce. In Fauquier County, trees were downed in Broad Run and wires were downed in Warrenton. In Fairfax County, large tree branches were downed in Centreville.

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 Jul 27, 9:02 AM EST, 3 hours 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 27, 9:02 AM EST, 3 hours 28 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON
1002 AM EDT SAT JUL 27 2002

HV ISSD FFA FOR W MD...E WV PANHANDLE AND HIGHLAND COUNTY VA. RECVD
RPT OF OVR 3 IN OF RA IN GRANT COUNTY FM YEST. ADDITIONAL 1-2 IN
OCCURRED OVR POTOMAC HILNDS LAST NGT.

SFC WRMFRONT WAS LOCATED ALG PA/MD STATE LN AT 13Z. 06Z MESO ETA
SUGGESTS FRONT WL BCM DIFFUSE BY ERLY AFTN. MDL BRINGS S/W FM OH
THRU NRN FA THIS AFTN. VIS SAT PIX DEPICTED CLRG TREND OVR WRN ZONES
THIS AM. W/WRMFNT N OF FA...EXPECT LOW CLDS OVR RMNDR OF FA TO MIX
OUT THIS AFTN AND AMS TO BCM INCRGLY UNSTABLE.

APPCH OF S/W AND LEFTOVR BDRIES FM ERLIER CONVECTION WL PROVIDE
FOCUS/LIFT FOR MORE CONVECTION THIS AFTN. H85 DWPTS WERE +15 DEG C
AND HIGH H7 DWPTS WERE ADVECTING INTO RGN. THIS MOISTURE IN
COMBINATION W/SFC DWPTS IN 70S AND PCP H20 OF 1.75 IN WL CAUSE
SHRAS/TSRAS TO PRODUCE HVY RAFL.

FLASH FLOOD THREAT WL BE HIEST IN WRN FA WHERE HVY RA OCCURRED
YEST/LAST NGT. FFG IN THIS AREA WAS ARND 2 IN/HR.

.LWX...
DC...NONE.
MD...FLOOD WATCH FOR SATURDAY FOR ZONE MDZ002.

VA...FLOOD WATCH FOR SATURDAY FOR ZONE VAZ021.

WV...FLOOD WATCH FOR SATURDAY FOR ZONES WVZ048>050...WVZ054>055.

ARTHUR

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 63 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:25 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 thunderstorm wind, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Winchester (C)

When
July 27, 12:30 PM EST to 1:30 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)

Thunderstorm Wind, Clarke

When
July 27, 1:25 PM EST
Where
Clarke County, Boyce
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.100, -78.050

Twenty trees were downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Fauquier

When
July 27, 1:40 PM EST
Where
Fauquier County, Broad Run
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
38.833, -77.717

Trees were downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Fauquier

When
July 27, 1:47 PM EST
Where
Fauquier County, Warrenton
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.717, -77.783

Wires were downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Fairfax

When
July 27, 2:07 PM EST
Where
Fairfax County, Centreville
Property damage
$500
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.833, -77.417

Large tree limbs were downed.

What these are

Heavy Rain
Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
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 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, July 2002

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: 5308245, 5308246, 5308247, 5308248, 5308249.