Flash Flooding and Flooding in Virginia, March 18, 2002

Name: Flash Flooding and Flooding in Virginia, March 18, 2002
Start: 2002-03-18T00:15
End: 2002-03-18T16:00
Location: Virginia

March 18, 2002 · NWS RNK · 7 events in 4 counties and zones

Heavy rains during the 18th caused major flash flooding. In Tazewell County numerous roads were flooded and washed out, 42 homes suffered major damage with 50 people evacuated.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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: $1.6 million
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 RNK wrote it up.

Heavy rains during the 18th caused major flash flooding. In Tazewell County numerous roads were flooded and washed out, 42 homes suffered major damage with 50 people evacuated. Several cars were washed away. During the early morning, flood waters leveled off and slowly began receding in the afternoon.In Smyth County, numerous roads were flooded and washed out, 50 people were evacuated from their residences, and there was minor damage to several residences and vehicles. During the early morning, flood waters leveled off and slowly began receding during the afternoon.In Wythe County many roads were flooded and were washed out with damage to several vehicles. During the early morning, flood waters leveled off and slowly began receding during the afternoon.Heavy rains also caused minor flooding of Peak Creek in Pulaski.

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 Mar 17, 8:15 PM EST, 4 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 17, 8:15 PM EST, 4 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG, VA
815 PM EST SUN MAR 17 2002

FFA WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT...INTO MONDAY MORNING. ALREADY GETTING
HEAVY RAINS IN THE WATCH AREA OVER SW VA. APPEARS SURRY AND WILKES
WILL BE SPARED...BUT SINCE RAIN SHOULD MOVE IN THERE LATE
TONIGHT...WILL NOT DROP IT. BOTH THE 18Z MESOETA AND AVN ARE CLOSE
IN REGARDS TO PIVOTING THE HEAVIEST PCPN OVER SRN KY AND MOVING IT
INTO SW VA OVERNIGHT. STAGE II RADAR/GAGE DATA SHOWS THE HEAVIEST
RAINS IN THE PAST 12 HOURS HAS FALLEN OVER NW NC MTNS...WITH LIGHTER
AMOUNTS...INTO SE WV. THE PAST 24 HOURS SHOWS SOME HIGHER AMOUNTS
INTO WRN GREENBRIER COUNTY. WILL LEAVE THE WATCH THE WAY IT IS
CONFIGURED...ALTHOUGH LOCATIONS IN WRN BLAND AND WYTHE...AS WELL AS
MERCER WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED...AS THINKING HVY BAND OF RAIN WILL
SET UP HERE.

TEMPS NOT GOING ANYWHERE OVERNIGHT...AND WILL ADJUST DOWNWARD MOST
LOCATIONS. THINKING THE WEDGE WILL NOT BUDGE OVERNIGHT. MAY ALSO
INTRODUCE PATCHY DENSE FOG TO THE FORECAST AS WELL...ESPECIALLY ALG
AND WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE.

NO OTHER CHANGES EXPECTED.

.RNK...
NC...FLOOD WATCH OVERNIGHT AND MON MORNING NCZ001>003-018-019.
VA...FLOOD WATCH OVERNIGHT AND MON MORNING VAZ007-009-015.
WV...NONE.

WHP

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 114 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:12 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 flood, 3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Smyth

When: March 18, 12:15 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Smyth County, Countywide
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.844, -81.537 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Wythe

When: March 18, 12:30 AM EST to 8:00 AM EST
Where: Wythe County, Countywide
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.917, -81.079 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Tazewell

When: March 18, 1:45 AM EST to 8:30 AM EST
Where: Tazewell County, Countywide
Property damage: $1.5 million
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.125, -81.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Smyth

When: March 18, 6:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Smyth County, Countywide
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.844, -81.537 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Wythe

When: March 18, 8:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Wythe County, Countywide
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.917, -81.079 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Tazewell

When: March 18, 8:30 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Tazewell County, Countywide
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.125, -81.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Pulaski

When: March 18, 9:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Pulaski County, Pulaski
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 37.064, -80.714 (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

Every storm in Virginia in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Virginia, March 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: 5285783, 5285784, 5285782, 5285787, 5285786, 5285788, 5285785.