Virginia, 2003

High Wind in Virginia, October 14 to 15, 2003

October 14 to 15, 2003 · NWS RNK · 19 events in 19 counties and zones

During the evening of the 14th and into the morning of the 15th, high winds downed numerous trees and powerlines across western Virginia, including the foothills. The winds blew shingles off a roof near Chamblissburg, in Bedford County.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 19 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
$7,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
19

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.

During the evening of the 14th and into the morning of the 15th, high winds downed numerous trees and powerlines across western Virginia, including the foothills. The winds blew shingles off a roof near Chamblissburg, in Bedford County. A tree damaged a shutter on a home in the city of Roanoke.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

19 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Roanoke

When
October 14, 6:30 PM EST to October 15, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Roanoke forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates
37.258, -80.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Alleghany

When
October 14, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Alleghany forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
37.791, -80.000 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Botetourt

When
October 14, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Botetourt forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates
37.557, -79.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Grayson

When
October 14, 7:30 PM EST
Where
Grayson forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.657, -81.225 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Amherst

When
October 14, 8:00 PM EST
Where
Amherst forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.605, -79.145 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Patrick

When
October 14, 8:30 PM EST
Where
Patrick forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.678, -80.284 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Floyd

When
October 14, 9:00 PM EST to 9:30 PM EST
Where
Floyd forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.932, -80.362 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Carroll

When
October 14, 9:00 PM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where
Carroll forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates
36.697, -80.829 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wythe

When
October 14, 9:00 PM EST
Where
Wythe forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates
36.917, -81.079 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Smyth

When
October 14, 9:00 PM EST
Where
Smyth forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates
36.844, -81.537 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Pulaski

When
October 14, 9:15 PM EST
Where
Pulaski forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.098, -80.645 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Montgomery

When
October 14, 9:20 PM EST
Where
Montgomery forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.174, -80.387 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Bland

When
October 14, 10:04 PM EST
Where
Bland forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.134, -81.130 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Franklin

When
October 15, 12:30 AM EST to 1:00 AM EST
Where
Franklin forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.992, -79.881 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Bedford

When
October 15, 1:00 AM EST to 1:30 AM EST
Where
Bedford forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.315, -79.524 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Rockbridge

When
October 15, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Rockbridge forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
37.774, -79.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Giles

When
October 15, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Giles forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates
37.314, -80.704 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Craig

When
October 15, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Craig forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.481, -80.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Bath

When
October 15, 5:30 AM EST
Where
Bath forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.059, -79.741 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Virginia in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, October 2003

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5336331, 5335992, 5336332, 5335993, 5335995, 5335998, 5336325, 5336333, 5336334, 5336335, 5336326, 5336327, 5335994, 5335999, 5335996, 5336330, 5336328, 5336329, 5335997.