Hail and Damaging Winds in West Virginia, July 18, 2006

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in West Virginia, July 18, 2006
Start: 2006-07-18T17:25
End: 2006-07-18T21:55
Location: West Virginia

July 18, 2006 · NWS RNK · 7 events in 3 counties and zones

Thunderstorms developed just in advance of a backdoor cold front entering the region. Some of these storms became severe and produced large hail and damaging winds.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $30,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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 developed just in advance of a backdoor cold front entering the region. Some of these storms became severe and produced large hail and damaging winds. Hail ranged from penny to golf ball size, and wind gusts in the 60 to 70 mph also accompanied some of the storms. These damaging winds downed many trees.

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 Jul 18, 5:19 PM EST, 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 18, 5:19 PM EST, 6 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 18, 4:44 AM EST, 12 hours 41 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
544 AM EDT TUE JUL 18 2006

NCZ003>006-019-020-VAZ022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059-191000-
SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WILKES-YADKIN-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-
ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-
CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
544 AM EDT TUE JUL 18 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA...
SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND WEST CENTRAL
VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

HOT WEATHER WILL CONTINUE TODAY. HIGHS THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE IN
THE MID TO UPPER 90S. THE HEAT INDEX WILL BE AROUND 100 IN THE
FOOTHILLS...AND 100 TO 105 IN THE PIEDMONT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

NCZ001-002-018-VAZ007-009>020-WVZ042>045-191000-
ASHE-ALLEGHANY-WATAUGA-TAZEWELL-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-
MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD-CRAIG-BATH-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE-
GREENBRIER-
544 AM EDT TUE JUL 18 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST NORTH
CAROLINA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND
SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

HOT WEATHER WILL CONTINUE TODAY. HIGHS THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE IN
THE MID 80S TO MID 90S.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 18, 4:04 PM EST, 1 hour 21 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
504 PM EDT TUE JUL 18 2006

WVZ045-182215-
GREENBRIER-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF...LEWISBURG
504 PM EDT TUE JUL 18 2006

...HEAVY RAIN OVER WESTERN GREENBRIER COUNTY...

PERSISTENT THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL OVER
MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST IN WESTERN GREENBRIER COUNTY NEAR THE
TOWN OF TROUT. RADAR WAS ESTIMATING AS MUCH AS 2 INCHES OF
RAINFALL HAS FALLEN NORTH OF TROUT SINCE ABOUT 4PM...AND
THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP IN THE VICINITY. THIS HEAVY
RAINFALL MAY CAUSE SOME MINOR FLOODING OF CREEKS AND STREAMS IN
THE AREA.

IF VERY HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUES...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MAY BE
NEEDED. KEEP AN EYE ON AREA CREEKS AND STREAMS FOR RAPIDLY RISING
WATER.

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 98 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:22 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Greenbrier

When: July 18, 5:25 PM EST
Where: Greenbrier County, 8 mi SE of Rupert
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 37.870, -80.583

Hail, Mercer

When: July 18, 7:55 PM EST
Where: Mercer County, Bramwell
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 37.317, -81.317

Hail, Greenbrier

When: July 18, 8:11 PM EST
Where: Greenbrier County, Rupert
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 37.950, -80.683

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenbrier

When: July 18, 8:11 PM EST
Where: Greenbrier County, Rupert
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 37.950, -80.683

Hail, Greenbrier

When: July 18, 8:16 PM EST
Where: Greenbrier County, 1 mi W of Rupert
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 37.950, -80.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenbrier

When: July 18, 8:16 PM EST
Where: Greenbrier County, 1 mi W of Rupert
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 37.950, -80.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Summers

When: July 18, 9:55 PM EST
Where: Summers County, 3 mi SE of Hinton
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates: 37.633, -80.867

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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 West Virginia in 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings in West Virginia, July 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5522471, 5522472, 5522475, 5522476, 5522473, 5522474, 5522477.