Damaging Wind in Virginia, May 1, 2002

Name: Damaging Wind in Virginia, May 1, 2002
Start: 2002-05-01T23:45
End: 2002-05-01T23:45
Location: Virginia

May 1, 2002 · NWS RNK · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Thunderstorm winds during the late evening of the 1st downed trees 5 miles northwest of Rockbridge Baths.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

Thunderstorm winds during the late evening of the 1st downed trees 5 miles northwest of Rockbridge Baths.

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 May 1, 7:34 PM EST, 4 hours 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 1, 7:34 PM EST, 4 hours 11 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG, VA
830 PM EDT MAY 1 2002

STRONGEST CELLS IN LEADING MCS OVER ERN KY SHOULD REMAIN ON ITS SRN
EDGE. SVR WX SHOULD STAY SW OF THE FA.  THE OVERALL MVMNT OF THE MCS
SHOULD REMAIN ESE...CLOSE TO THE STNRY/WRM FNT. CORFIDI VECTORS FROM
THE 18Z MODELS SUPPORT THIS MVMNT. MORE TSRA ARE DEVELOPING BEHIND
THIS INTIAL MCS IN SE IN AND NRN KY AND IT LOOKS LIKE MOST OF THIS
ACTIVITY WILL BE MOVG ACROSS THE CWA LATER TONITE. WILL RAISE POPS
ALL ZONES- CATEG MTNS TO LIKELY FOR THE BLUE RIDGE AND
EASTWARD...MAY KEEP SOME OF THE PIEDMONT CHC. DON/T SEE MUCH CHC OF
TSTMS IN NERN SECTIONS LIKE ARND LYH...BUT WILL NOT TAKE IT OUT
SINCE IT IS ALREADY IN THE FCST. UPDATE WILL BE OUT SHORTLY SINCE
TSRA ARE ON OUR DOORSTEP.

.RNK...
NC...NONE.
VA...NONE.
WV...NONE.

JJ

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 1, 9:34 PM EST, 2 hours 11 minutes before

NCZ001-002-018-019-020400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1034 PM EDT WED MAY 1 2002

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHWESTERN
NORTH CAROLINA...

AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING ACROSS FAR SOUTHWESTERN
VIRGINIA...AND THE NORTHEASTERN CORNER OF TENNESSEE.  THE STORMS
SHOULD REACH NORTH CAROLINA BETWEEN 11 AND 11:30 PM.  HEAVY
DOWNPOURS...AND HAIL...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

BS

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 124 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:47 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rockbridge

When: May 1, 11:45 PM EST
Where: Rockbridge County, 5 mi NW of Rockbridge Baths
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 37.950, -79.483

What these are

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

Every storm in Virginia in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Virginia, May 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: 5299739.