Damaging Winds in Virginia, September 15, 2002

Name: Damaging Winds in Virginia, September 15, 2002
Start: 2002-09-15T18:10
End: 2002-09-15T18:20
Location: Virginia

September 15, 2002 · NWS RNK · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Thunderstorms winds on the 15th downed trees in Red Oak, and downed large trees onto roads in Scottsburg.

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: 2

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.

Thunderstorms winds on the 15th downed trees in Red Oak, and downed large trees onto roads in Scottsburg.

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 Sep 15, 2:15 PM EST, 3 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 15, 2:15 PM EST, 3 hours 55 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG, VA
315 PM EDT SUN SEP 15 2002

THE COMBINATION OF A COLD FRONT TO OUR WEST AND THE REMNANTS OF
HANNA TO THE SOUTH ARE PRODUCING PERIODS OF RAIN ACRS THE FA.
THERE WERE BREAKS IN THE PCPN ESPECIALLY ACRS WESTERN PORTIONS
OF FA THIS AFTERNOON. AS A PAIR OF SHORTWAVES ACTED AS FOCUS FOR
RAIN AXIS. REVIEW OF REGIONAL WSR-88D IMAGES DISPLAYED RAIN TO
SOUTH ADVANCING TOWARDS RGN AND RAIN IN OHIO VALLEY SPREADING EAST
INTO WV. BELIEVE SIG RAIN IS ONCE AGAIN POSSIBLE TONIGHT...BUT NO
WIDESPREAD FLOOD THREAT EXPECTED. ELECTED TO ADJUST POPS TONIGHT
WITH A GRADIENT HIGHER TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST. WILL MENTION
RAIN HEAVY AT TIME EAST OF THE MTNS...DUE TO POSBL UPSLOPE
ENHANCEMENT. ON MONDAY...FRONT IN THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY WILL PUSH
SOUTH INTO FA. I WILL CONTINUE THE SCT CHC OF PCPN ON MONDAY. FRONT
STALLS TO OUR S MONDAY NIGHT AND TUE. I RAISED TEMPS FOR MONDAY AND
TUESDAY.

IN THE EXTENDED PERIODS...MID SHIFT ADDED POPS IN THE SW COUNTIES
WED WITH NEXT JET STREAK AND RETURN OF MOISTURE. THIS AM CANADIAN
AND MRF SOLUTION SUPPORTS THE IDEA OF LIGHT PCPN. ON THU...CONTINUE
CHC IN WESTERN PORTION OF FA. WILL KEEP MENTION OF CHC OF SHWRS AND
THUNDERSTORMS FOR FRI AND SAT. DRY WEATHER ANTICIPATED ON SUNDAY. A
FEW OF THE ADJUSTMENTS MADE IN THE EXTENDED PERIODS: RAISED CLOUD
COVER TUES NITE...ADDED LIGHT POPS THU TO WEST AND RAISED MINS
FRIDAY.  BLENDED FORECAST VIA EASTERN ISC GROUP. ZONES WILL BE OUT
BY 400 PM. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.

FCSTID =    7
PRELIM NUMBERS
ROA   64  80  60  80 /  60  30  10  10
LYH   63  80  59  80 /  60  30  10  10
DAN   66  83  63  81 /  60  30  10  10
BLF   59  76  54  76 /  50  30  10  10
LWB   57  75  53  76 /  50  30  10  10
BCB   60  77  56  77 /  50  30  10  10
TNB   57  74  55  74 /  60  30  10  10

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

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Halifax

When: September 15, 6:10 PM EST
Where: Halifax County, Scottsburg
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.750, -78.783

Thunderstorm Wind, Charlotte

When: September 15, 6:20 PM EST
Where: Charlotte County, Red Oak
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.783, -78.617

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, September 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: 5317756, 5317757.