Thunderstorms with heavy rainfall moved through the Central Shenandoah Valley and the Central Foothills during the evening of the 10th and the early morning hours of the 11th. In Shenandoah County, several roads were closed due to high water.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 with heavy rainfall moved through the Central Shenandoah Valley and the Central Foothills during the evening of the 10th and the early morning hours of the 11th. In Shenandoah County, several roads were closed due to high water. A total of 2.13 inches was recorded at Fetzer Gap and 1.85 inches fell in Mt. Olive. In Nelson County, a car was submerged in flood waters on Rockfish Road (Route 617) at the intersection of Route 29. Route 295 was also flooded west of Route 6 near Woods Mill. Rainfall totals included 2.73 inches at Rockfish and 2.26 inches at Brent Gap. In Greene County, flooding closed Route 638 just north of Standardsville. When the water receded, piles of debris were left behind in the roadway. In Albemarle County, a few creeks overflowed onto roadways. In Augusta County, Route 276 was flooded near Weyers Cave. In Rockingham County, a home on Bear Mountain Lane near Elkton burned to the ground after being struck by lightning. The blaze started after lightning entered the home through the spot where the electrical service connects to the home. It took three hours to contain the fire and it caused $200,000 damage to the structure.
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 Aug 10, 7:45 PM EST, 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
845 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 2003
...A FLOOD WATCH WILL BE ISSUED SHORTLY FOR EASTERN WEST
VIRGINIA...NORTHERN VIRGINIA...WASHINGTON DC...AND MOST OF MARYLAND
VALID 10:00 PM SUNDAY THROUGH 11:00 AM MONDAY...
21Z SURFACE ANALYSIS DEPICTS A SURFACE LOW DEVELOPING IN CENTRAL
GEORGIA ALONG A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY...WHICH EXTENDS NORTHEAST
THROUGH THE LEE OF THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS. AN AREA OF PRESSURE
FALLS WAS NOTED IN THE CAROLINAS. WATER VAPOR LOOP SHOWS A SHORTWAVE
OVER NORTHEAST GEORGIA...MOVING NORTHEAST UP THE TROUGH AXIS. DRY
AIR IS SEEN BEING PULLED INTO THE REAR OF THE SYSTEM...A SIGN OF
DEEPENING AS THE WAVE REACHES THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. UPPER LEVEL JET
COUPLING IS ALSO SHOWN BY THE RUC CURRENTLY OVER THE CAROLINAS. AS A
RESULT...CONVECTION HAS DEVELOPED OVER THE MID ATLANTIC.
THIS AREA OF CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO CONGEAL AND SLIGHTLY
ACCELERATE NORTHEAST DURING THE OVERNIGHT AS THE THUNDERSTORMS
BECOME ELEVATED. IR SATELLITE LOOP SHOWS COOLING CLOUD TOPS IN THE
CAROLINAS...WHICH SUPPORTS AN EVOLVING SCENARIO.
INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE ARE ALREADY IN PLACE. 00Z IAD SOUNDING
SHOWS AN LI OF -6C...OVER 2500 J/KG OF SBCAPE...AND A PRECIPITABLE
WATER VALUE OVER 1.75 INCHES.
18Z MESOETA WIND STREAMLINES AT 925MB AND 850MB SHOW A CONVERGENT OR
TROUGH-LIKE WIND PATTERN WILL DEEPEN INTO A CYCLONIC CIRCULATION AS
THE WAVE MOVES UP THE MID ATLANTIC LATE TONIGHT...WHICH IS
SUPPORTED BY PRESSURE FALLS AND THE WRAPPING OF DRY AIR ALOFT INTO
THE SYSTEM SEEN ON WATER VAPOR.
SINCE CONVECTION LATE THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE MOUNTAINS HAS
CONGEALED DURING THE EVENING...AND THE CURRENT FLOOD WATCH WEST OF
THE BLUE RIDGE EXPIRES AT 10:00 PM...HAVE DECIDED TO BEGIN THE NEW
FLOOD WATCH AT 10:00 PM. THE IMPACT OF THE APPROACHING WAVE WILL
LIKELY NOT BE SEEN ACROSS EASTERN MARYLAND AND THE METRO AREAS UNTIL
ABOUT 3:00 AM. THIS TIMING WILL IMPACT THE MONDAY MORNING COMMUTE
ACROSS NORTHERN VIRGINIA...MARYLAND...AND THE METRO AREAS.
THE CONVECTIVE NATURE OF THIS EVENT PRECLUDES THE POSSIBILITY OF A
AREAL PRECIPITATION ESTIMATE...BUT ALSO MEANS MANY PLACES HAVE A
CHANCE OF REACHING FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE WHICH GENERALLY IS 2 INCHES
PER ONE HOUR PERIOD...OR 3 INCHES IN A SIX HOUR PERIOD. URBAN TYPE
FLOODING IS ALSO EXPECTED AS CONVECTION REACHES THE METRO AREA
DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE.
FOG FORMATION IS AGAIN HINTED AT IN NGM/GFS MOS. MESOETA SOUNDINGS
ALSO SHOW A CLASSIC FOG SOUNDING OF MOISTURE UP TO 1KFT WITH DRY AIR
ABOVE THAT LAYER. GIVEN WHAT OCCURRED LAST NIGHT WITH SCATTERED
CONVECTION...AND WIDESPREAD CONVECTION EXPECTED TO OVERSPREAD THE
AREA BY DAYBREAK...WILL KEEP PATCHY FOG WORDING IN THE ZONES.
WILL ALSO UPDATE POPS IN ZONES FOR THE OVERNIGHT AND MONDAY.
THANKS FOR COORD RNK/RLX/AKQ/CTP
ROGOWSKI
.LWX...
DC...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH 11:00 AM MONDAY DCZ001.
MD...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH 11:00 AM MONDAY
MDZ002>MDZ007-MDZ009>MDZ011-MDZ013-MDZ014.
VA...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH 11:00 AM MONDAY
VAZ021-VAZ025>VAZ031-VAZ036>VAZ042-VAZ050>VAZ056.
WV...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH 11:00 AM MONDAY WVZ048>WVZ055.
MARINE...NONE.DCZ001-MDZ002>007-009>011-013-014-016>018-VAZ021-025>031-036>042- 050>057-WVZ048>055-110900- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1045 AM EDT SUN AUG 10 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MARYLAND WEST OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AND EAST OF GARRETT COUNTY...THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA...NORTHERN VIRGINIA...THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL SHENANDOAH VALLEY...AND THE EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY AND FOOTHILLS. SIGNIFICANT RAINFALLS OVER THE PAST TWO DAYS HAVE LEFT SOIL CONDITIONS NEARLY SATURATED OVER THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS. MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED. THE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND POSSIBLE FLOODING. SOME OF THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAINFALL IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WHICH WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED...BUT SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO FORWARD HEAVY RAINFALL OR FLOODING REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING. CPW/MANNING
WVZ054-102330- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 630 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 2003 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO CENTRAL PENDLETON COUNTY... AT 6:30 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM SENECA ROCKS TO HARPER...MOVING SLOWLY NORTHEAST TOWARDS CENTRAL PENDLETON COUNTY AT 10 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. THE COMMUNITIES OF FRANKLIN AND UPPER TRACT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM THROUGH 7:30 PM. STRONG
VAZ021-WVZ048-054-055-110000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 703 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 2003 AT 7 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN THE SOUTHERN SECTION OF THE EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA PANHANDLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. THEY WILL ALSO PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR MINOR FLOODING. THE COMMUNITIES OF FRANKLIN... MOOREFIELD... PETERSBURG AND UPPER TRACT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS THROUGH 8 PM. STRONG
WVZ050-055-110030- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 733 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 2003 AT 7:30 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR MOOREFIELD...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. IT WILL ALSO HAVE TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AND WILL LIKELY PRODUCE AN INCH OR TWO OF RAIN WITHIN AN HOUR. THE COMMUNITIES OF MOOREFIELD AND NORTHERN HARDY COUNTY WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM THROUGH 8:30 PM. STRONG
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
800 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0645 PM FRANKLIN WV FLASH FLOOD
08/10/03 PENDLETON ROAD CLOSED DUE TO HIGH
WATER.WVZ050-110200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 853 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 2003 TORRENTIAL RAIN WILL BE MOVING ACROSS HAMPSHIRE COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA BETWEEN 8:45 AND 10 PM THIS EVENING. STAY ALERT IF FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BECOME NECESSARY AND BE CAREFUL DRIVING ACROSS LOW LYING AREAS. STRONG
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
913 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0900 PM MOOREFIELD WV FLASH FLOOD
08/10/03 HARDY WIDESPREAD FLOODING.
ROADS UNDERWATER.
BASEMENT FLOODING.
REPORTED BY 911 CENTER.The Sterling radar (KLWX), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:27 UTC.
5 flash flood, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Several roads were closed by high water.
Routes 617 and 295 were flooded.
A home was destroyed by a lightning-related fire.
A few creeks overflowed onto roadways.
Floodwaters left debris on Middle River Road near Route 638.
Route 276 was flooded near Weyers Cave.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, August 2003
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: 5337278, 5337279, 5337282, 5337280, 5337283, 5337281.