Thunderstorm Wind, Halifax
- When
- August 30, 4:54 PM EST
- Where
- Halifax County, 2 mi NE of Scottsburg
- Measured
- 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $2,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 36.767, -78.750
Trees down.
Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, August 30, 2006
A cold front draped across the area, combined with plenty of tropical moisture helped trigger thunderstorms across southside Virginia. Some of the storms produced damaging winds, and hail up to the size of quarters.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $7,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 4
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.
A cold front draped across the area, combined with plenty of tropical moisture helped trigger thunderstorms across southside Virginia. Some of the storms produced damaging winds, and hail up to the size of quarters.
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 Aug 30, 3:55 PM EST, 59 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 30, 3:55 PM EST, 59 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
455 PM EDT WED AUG 30 2006
.SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...
A COUPLE OF FRONTAL BNDRYS AND AN APPROACHING TROPICAL STORM SYSTEM
MAKING FOR A VERY COMPLICATED WX PTTN ACROSS THE REGION FOR THE NEXT
SEVERAL DAYS. FRONT STRETCHED EAST-WEST OVER NC THIS AFTN IS THE
FOCUS FOR TSTMS IN VERY UNSTABLE AIR. VERY LITTLE DRY AIR ALOFT AND
WEAK SHEAR WILL RESULT IN HEAVY RAINERS WITH THE OCCASIONAL WET
DOWNBURST PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS...MAINLY FROM THE NC LINE SOUTH.
TRAINING CELLS WILL ALSO CREATE A THREAT OF ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING.
A SECOND BNDRY WILL DROP THRU NRN VA INTO THE REGION TNGT. MEANWHILE
HIGHLY AMPLITUDE FLOW ALOFT WITH DEEP TROF OVER THE MIDWEST & MS
VALLEY STILL DIGGING SOUTH. WITH THIS...DIFFLUENT FLOW WILL DEVELOP
ALOFT OVERNIGHT INTO THURSDAY OVER THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION
CREATING A DEFORMATION ZONE ACROSS THE REGION AND A PERSISTENT AREA
OF RAIN. THIS WILL ONLY HELP TO PRIME THE GROUND FOR THE REMNANTS OF
ERNESTO AS IT IS EXPECTED TO TRACK RIGHT UP INTO CENTRAL VIRGINIA ON
FRIDAY. ALL TOTALED...UP TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN COULD EASILY BE SEEN
WITH THE ENTIRE EVENT WITH EVEN HIGHER AMOUNTS ALONG EASTERN SLOPES
OF THE BLUE RIDGE...ESP NORTH OF ROA. WINDS OF 10 TO 25 MPH GUSTING
TO 40 ARE NOT A CONCERN...BUT WITH SATURATED GROUND...THESE WINDS
COULD TOPPLE LARGE TREES.CAUSING POWER OUTAGES.
DEW POINTS THIS AFTERNOON ARE HIGHER THAN GUIDANCE...THEREFORE WENT
A CAT WARMER WITH DEW POINTS AND TONIGHT LOWS. WITH A WARMER START
TO THE MORNING...BUMPED UP THURSDAY HIGH TEMPERATURES AS WELL.
MODELS RUNNING FAST WITH REMNANTS OF ERNESTO MOVING NORTH OF THE
AREA AND THEREFORE WENT WARMER THAN GUIDANCE AS TROPICAL AIR
INCREASES TEMPERATURES AND DEW POINTS. ONCE REMNANTS MOVE TO THE
NORTH FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...DRIER AIR WILL WORK INTO THE
AREA BUT THE HUMIDITIES MAY REMAIN.
&&
.LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
CRNT MODEL CONSENSUS SHOWS THE REMNANTS OF ERNESTO AND ASSOC
RAINFALL WILL PULL OUT AROUND FRIDAY NIGHT...BUT WITH ANOTHER UPR
LOW DROPPING DOWN INTO THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE
COUNTRY...SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE TO PULL SHORTWAVES UP
INTO THE FCST AREA. CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WILL BE MUCH MORE SCTD AND
DIURNAL THRU MIDWEEK.
&&
.AVIATION...
SHOWERS/TSTMS WILL BE INCREASING THIS AFTN ESP ACROSS THE SOUTH
ALONG AND NEAR FRNTL BNDRY NEAR THE NC/VA BORDER. AS THE FRONT SINKS
SOUTH THIS EVENING...MORE STABLE LOW LVL AIR WILL MOVE IN CREATING
AN INVERSION AND LOW CIGS AND AREAS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN. CIGS
AND VSBYS WILL BE SLOW TO RECOVER TMRW MORNING AS ADDITONAL MOISTR
SURGES INTO THE AREA FROM THE SOUTH OVER THE FRONT.
&&
.RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
VA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR VAZ016-017-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-
059 UNTIL 4 PM FRIDAY.
NC...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NCZ003>006-019-020 UNTIL 4 PM FRIDAY.
WV...NONE.
&&
RCSHazardous weather outlook, Aug 30, 1:59 PM EST, 2 hours 55 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 259 PM EDT WED AUG 30 2006 VAZ016-017-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059-311900- CARROLL-FLOYD-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-FRANKLIN- BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM- HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE- 259 PM EDT WED AUG 30 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN...WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES COULD RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING OF CREEKS AND SMALLER STREAMS. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A FLOOD WATCH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH LATE FRIDAY AS MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH ERNESTO MOVES INLAND AND BRINGS THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED OVERNIGHT INTO LATE WEEK. IN ADDITION RAINFALL REPORTS ARE REQUESTED. VAZ007-009>015-018>020-WVZ042>045-311900- TAZEWELL-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CRAIG- ALLEGHANY-BATH-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE-GREENBRIER- 259 PM EDT WED AUG 30 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS...WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON AND AT TIMES OVERNIGHT. RAINFALL TOTALS OF UP TO 2 INCHES COULD OCCUR WHERE HEAVIER DOWNPOURS DO DEVELOP. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE INTO LATE WEEK AS ERNESTO MOVES SLOWLY NORTH ACROSS PARTS OF THE REGION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER RAINFALL REPORTS ARE REQUESTED. NCZ001-002-018-311900- ASHE-ALLEGHANY-WATAUGA- 259 PM EDT WED AUG 30 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW POSSIBLY SEVERE AND SOME WITH LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS...WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON AND AT TIMES OVERNIGHT. RAINFALL TOTALS OF UP TO 2 INCHES COULD OCCUR WHERE HEAVIER DOWNPOURS DO DEVELOP. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE INTO LATE WEEK AS ERNESTO MOVES SLOWLY NORTH ACROSS PARTS OF THE REGION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED FOR THIS AFTERNOON...AND MAY BE NEEDED OVERNIGHT IF FLASH FLOODING DEVELOPS. NCZ003>006-019-020-311900- SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WILKES-YADKIN- 259 PM EDT WED AUG 30 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW POSSIBLY SEVERE AND SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN...WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO OVERNIGHT. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES COULD RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING OF CREEKS AND SMALLER STREAMS. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A FLOOD WATCH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH LATE FRIDAY AS MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH ERNESTO MOVES INLAND AND BRINGS THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED AND MAY BE NEEDED OVERNIGHT IF FLASH FLOODING DEVELOPS. SK
In the hours before
Local storm report, Aug 30, 4:07 PM EST, 47 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
507 PM EDT WED AUG 30 2006
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0437 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 N ELKIN 36.27N 80.85W
08/30/2006 SURRY NC LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN ON CC CAMP ROAD.
&&
HYSELLSpecial weather statement, Aug 30, 4:07 PM EST, 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 507 PM EDT WED AUG 30 2006 NCZ004-302200- STOKES NC- 507 PM EDT WED AUG 30 2006 AT 503 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF WALNUT COVE...OR ABOUT 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF PINE HALL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...PRESTONVILLE AT 515 PM EDT...SANDY RIDGE AT 520 PM EDT AND AYERSVILLE AT 525 PM EDT. EXPECT TORRENTIAL RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS THROUGH 5:30 PM. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION. AMS
Local storm report, Aug 30, 4:13 PM EST, 41 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
513 PM EDT WED AUG 30 2006
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0503 PM TSTM WND DMG ENON 36.15N 80.47W
08/30/2006 YADKIN NC LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN.
&&
HYSELLSpecial weather statement, Aug 30, 4:20 PM EST, 34 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 520 PM EDT WED AUG 30 2006 VAZ058-059-302226- CHARLOTTE-HALIFAX- 520 PM EDT WED AUG 30 2006 THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS...INTENSIVE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND WIND GUSTS AS HIGH AS 50 MPH WILL BE AFFECTING THE LOCATIONS ALONG AND EAST OF HIGHWAY 501 THROUGH 630 PM. SOUTH BOSTON...HALIFAX...CLUSTER SPRINGS AND SAXE CAN EXPECT THE STRONGEST STORMS. ONE HOUR RAINFALL RATES AS HIGH AS 3 INCHES WILL OCCUR WITH THESE STORMS. THIS WILL CAUSE EXCESSIVE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS...SO SLOW DOWN IF TRAVELING THROUGH SOUTH BOSTON OR HALIFAX TO AVOID HYDROPLANING. 05
Special weather statement, Aug 30, 4:29 PM EST, 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 529 PM EDT WED AUG 30 2006 NCZ005-VAZ032-043-044-302230- ROCKINGHAM NC-PATRICK VA-PITTSYLVANIA VA-HENRY VA- 529 PM EDT WED AUG 30 2006 AT 524 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTH OF SPENCER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...SANVILLE AT 535 PM EDT... HORSE PASTURE AT 540 PM EDT...RIDGEWAY AT 545 PM EDT...MARTINSVILLE AIRPORT AND FIELDALE AT 550 PM EDT...AND MARTINSVILLE CITY AND VILLA HEIGHTS AT 555 PM EDT. THE PUBLIC IS ENCOURAGED TO RELAY REPORTS OF STRONG WINDS...HAIL OR FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG BY CALLING 1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4. AMS
Special weather statement, Aug 30, 4:38 PM EST, 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 538 PM EDT WED AUG 30 2006 WVZ045-302245- GREENBRIER WV- 538 PM EDT WED AUG 30 2006 AT 537 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 19 MILES NORTH OF MARLINTON TO 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF BABCOCK STATE PARK...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. THE LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...RUPERT AND QUINWOOD AT 550 PM EDT...ANJEAN AT 555 PM EDT...DUO AT 600 PM EDT AND WILLIAMSBURG AT 605 PM EDT. EXPECT FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND TORRENTIAL RAIN IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION. AMS
The radar
The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 125 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:55 UTC.
Event by event
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Halifax
- When
- August 30, 4:58 PM EST
- Where
- Halifax County, 3 mi W of Halifax
- Measured
- 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $2,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 36.767, -78.967
Trees down.
Hail, Henry
- When
- August 30, 5:02 PM EST
- Where
- Henry County, Horse Pasture
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 36.633, -79.950
Thunderstorm Wind, Henry
- When
- August 30, 5:05 PM EST
- Where
- Henry County, Fieldale
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $3,000
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 36.700, -79.950
Tree blown down on car.
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.
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flash Flooding and Hail in West Virginia, August 30, 2006
- Lightning Strike in South Carolina, August 30, 2006
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Mississippi, August 30, 2006
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, August 30, 2006
- Damaging Winds in Alabama, August 30, 2006
- Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, August 30, 2006
- Tropical Storm in Georgia, August 30 to 31, 2006
- Tropical Storm in South Carolina, August 30 to 31, 2006
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, August 30, 2006
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, August 30, 2006
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, August 30, 2006
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Kentucky, August 30, 2006
More
Every storm in Virginia in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, August 2006
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: 5529488, 5529489, 5529486, 5529487.