Thunderstorms, some severe, brought torrential rains to portions of Southwest Virginia, during the evening of May 8th, into the morning of May 9th. Up to 5 inches of rain fell in a few locations, leading to flash flooding.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 RNK wrote it up.
Thunderstorms, some severe, brought torrential rains to portions of Southwest Virginia, during the evening of May 8th, into the morning of May 9th. Up to 5 inches of rain fell in a few locations, leading to flash flooding.
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 May 8, 2:47 PM EST, 6 hours 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 347 PM EDT THU MAY 8 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT ARRIVES AS AN AREA OF LOW PRESSUE MOVES ALONG THE MASON DIXON LINE TONIGHT. A STRONGER AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL TAKE A SIMILAR TRACK ON SUNDAY. A TROUGH DEVELOPING IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES WILL PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... STRONG UPPER LOW MOVING ACROSS KY IS FCST TO BECOME AN OPEN WAVE AS IT LIFTS NORTHEASTWARD INTO THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS TONIGHT. AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM THE AIRMASS IS PRETTY MOIST...PWATS FCST TO PEAK BETWEEN 1.5 TO 1.7 EARLY TONIGHT...AND SURFACE DEWPOINTS IN THE LOWER 60S. DEEP CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP WITHIN THIS MOISTURE RICH ENVIRONMENT...PRECIPITATION BECOMING WIDESPREAD THIS EVENING. POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE DEEP CONVECTION DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH SUN WE GET LATE THIS AFTERNOON. DENSE CLOUD COVER PREVAILED INTO THE EARLY AFTN...BUT HAS BEEN THINNING WITH TIME. AS TEMPS INCREASE THIS WILL RESULT IN INCREASING INSTABILITY NEEDED TO FUEL THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRONGER STORMS. CAPES ARE FCST TO PEAK AT AROUND 1500 J/KG THIS EVENING. SHEAR IS ABUNDANT...SRH FCSTS NEAR 200 M2/S2 FOR THIS EVENING. THE NET RESULT SHOULD BE THE FORMATION OF DEEP CONVECTION WITH POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CELLS...SOME OF WHICH MAY HAVE SUPERCELL STRUCTURES. MAIN TIME FRAME TO WATCH FOR SEVERE DEEP CONVECTION WILL BE FROM 21 TO 06 UTC. WITH THE HIGH PWATS...WILL ALSO NEED TO CLOSELY MONITOR FOR HEAVY RAINFALL...ESPECIALLY IF THUNDERSTORM LINE SEGMENTS BEGIN TO TRAIN. ATTM...WIND FLOW LOOKS PROGRESSIVE ENOUGH TO KEEP THE STORMS MOVING...BUT IT TRAINING DOES DEVELOP...RAIN AMOUNTS WILL STACK UP QUICKLY. GREATEST THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL LOOKS TO BE BETWEEN 00 TO 06Z...WITH FOCUS ON THE BLUE RIDGE AND POINTS EAST. A PWAT OF 1.6 INCHES IS 170% OF NORMAL. FORTUNATELY FFG IS HIGH NOW. LOOKS LIKE IT WILL TAKE 2.5 TO 3.5 INCHES TO CAUSE FLASH FLOODING...SO DO NOT THINK THERE IS A NEED FOR A FLASH FLOOD WATCH ATTM. HAVE STAYED CLOSE TO THE FASTER GFS WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE SFC LOW...SO TAPER OFF PRECIP PRETTY QUICKLY DURING THE DAY FRIDAY. WITH THE LOW PULLING OUT TO THE NORTHEAST FRIDAY AFTERNOON THERE WILL BE SOME CLEARING. NOT MUCH COLD ADVECTION FRIDAY BEHIND THIS SYSTEM...SO TEMPS SHOULD REMAIN MILD. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... QUICK SHOT OF SHWS ALONG REMNANT BOUNDARY FROM FRIDAYS LOW PRESSURE AGREED UPON BY NAM/GFS/SREF SO INC POPS MAINLY IN THE HIGH TERRITORY...ALTHOUGH SOME SHOWERS SHOULD SURVIVE EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE INTO SATURDAY MORNING. ANOTHER CHC OF STRONG STORMS ON SUNDAY...WITH H3 JET STREAK TAKING AIM ON THE PIEDMONT...AND AREA OF LOW PRESSURE PASSING THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY. WEDGE WILL BE REMAINING FOR PART OF THE DAY IN THE EAST...WHICH SHOULD ALLOW FOR POTENT LLVL SHEAR AS OCCLUSION/WARM FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE SOUTH AND WEST. CONSIDERING THE POTENTIAL FOR HVY RAINS LEADING UP TO THIS EVENT...WATER PROBLEMS MAY DEVELOP WITH THE GROUND SATURATED. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... ACTIVE PATTERN TAKING SHAPE DURING THE LONG TERM...WITH RIDGE IN THE WEST AND TROUGH IN THE EAST. SHRTWVS EJECTING FROM ALEUTIAN LOW WILL BE DIRECTED INTO THE MIDWEST...ONLY AMPLIFYING THE EASTERN TROUGH FURTHER BY THURSDAY/FRIDAY. BASICALLY FOLLOWED THE ECMWF...ALTHOUGH THE GFS IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT THIS FAR OUT. && .AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... STAGE IS SET FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MID/UPPER LEVEL CLOUDS WILL BRIEFLY THIN THIS AFTERNOON ALLOWING FOR SURFACE HEATING AND BUILDUPS FOR THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD AFTER 21 UTC WITH POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINFALL AND IFR CONDITIONS. GRADIENT WINDS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING FRONT WILL BE OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST...BUT ANTICIPATED ERRATIC WINDS WITH POTENTIAL FOR STRONG GUSTS IN THE VCNTY OF TSTMS. FOR TONIGHT THE ORGANIZED AREA OF DEEP CONVECTION WILL MOVE FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE SERVICE AREA...WIDEPREAD IFR/MVFR CONDITIONS ANTICIPATED. THE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL LIKELY LINGER INTO EARLY FRIDAY WITH LOW CIGS ANTICIPATED. CIGS AND VSBYS SHOULD GRADUALLY IMPROVE BETWEEN DAYBREAK AND NOON FRIDAY AS WESTERLY WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT BEGIN THE DRYING PROCESS. A WARM FRONT WILL MOVE BACK NORTHWARD THROUGH THE AREA SATURDAY. THIS WILL LIKELY BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...ALONG WITH POSSIBLE MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS. FINALLY... ANOTHER STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION LATE SUNDAY. THIS WILL BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...ALONG WITH POSSIBLE MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS. WINDS MAY BE STRONG AND GUSTY BEHIND THIS LOW PRESSURE LATE SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...KM NEAR TERM...PM SHORT TERM...KM LONG TERM...KM AVIATION...PM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 1137 AM EDT THU MAY 8 2008 VAZ007-010-011-018>020-WVZ042>045-091545- TAZEWELL-BLAND-GILES-CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE- GREENBRIER- 1137 AM EDT THU MAY 8 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT. CONDITIONS MAY BECOME FAVORABLE FOR A FEW OF THESE STORMS TO BE SEVERE. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORMS...WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL...ARE POSSIBLE ALONG A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WILL CROSS THE MID ATLANTIC REGION SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. BEHIND THE FRONT...STRONG GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE DAY MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED SUNDAY. NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ009-012>017-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059- 091545- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES- YADKIN-SMYTH-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD-ROANOKE- BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY- PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE- 1137 AM EDT THU MAY 8 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA...AND MOVE NORTHEASTWARD INTO THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR SOME OF THESE STORMS TO BECOME SEVERE. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT...BUT THERE IS ALSO THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW OF THESE STORMS TO PRODUCE TORNADOES. IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO EXPECTED. THE STORMS THAT DEVELOP ARE EXPECTED TO BE HEAVY RAIN PRODUCERS. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL OF ONE TO ONE AND A HALF INCHES IS EXPECTED...WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS OF 2 INCHES OR MORE POSSIBLE. FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE INDICATES IT WILL TAKE RAINFALL OF CLOSE TO THREE INCHES TO PRODUCE MORE THAN MINOR FLOOD PROBLEMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORMS...WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL...ARE POSSIBLE ALONG A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WILL CROSS THE MID ATLANTIC REGION SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. BEHIND THE FRONT...STRONG GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE DAY MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED AGAIN SUNDAY.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
916 PM EDT THU MAY 08 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0845 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 SW SNOW CREEK 36.81N 79.78W
05/08/2008 FRANKLIN VA EMERGENCY MNGR
TREES DOWN ON HOUSE ON RT 618 AND 632 MUDDY FORK RD
&&
TWPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
917 PM EDT THU MAY 08 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0910 PM TSTM WND DMG DOBSON 36.39N 80.72W
05/08/2008 SURRY NC AMATEUR RADIO
TREES DOWN IN CITY
&&
TWPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
929 PM EDT THU MAY 08 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0925 PM HAIL 2 S DOBSON 36.36N 80.72W
05/08/2008 E0.88 INCH SURRY NC NWS EMPLOYEE
&&
TWPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
932 PM EDT THU MAY 08 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0930 PM HAIL HURT 37.08N 79.28W
05/08/2008 E1.00 INCH PITTSYLVANIA VA TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
TWPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
938 PM EDT THU MAY 08 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0938 PM HAIL HURT 37.08N 79.28W
05/08/2008 E1.00 INCH PITTSYLVANIA VA PUBLIC
&&
TWPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
951 PM EDT THU MAY 08 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0935 PM HAIL FRANCISCO 36.50N 80.37W
05/08/2008 E1.00 INCH STOKES NC LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
TWThe Roanoke radar (KFCX), 47 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:17 UTC.
21 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Daniels Creeks flooded portions of South Daniels Creek Road.
Koger Creek flooded the intersection of Morningside and Cassell Drive, 1 mile southwest of Sanville.
A mudslide occurred along the cloverleaf ramp of U.S. Route 220 and U.S. Route 58.
Little Reed Creek flooded portions of Colonial Hill Drive and Jessteen Lane.
A portion of Liberty Street was closed due to Jones Creek flooding.
Beechtree Creek flooded a portion of Dews Road, which is located about 3 miles east southeast of the town of Hurt.
Rugg Creek flooded portions of Smith Lake Road.
Water with debris was rapidly flowing across Pigeon Run Road, due to Mollys Creek flooding its banks. This is about 3 miles east of the town of Gladys.
Over 5 inches of rain in a few hours, caused Sailor Creek to flood. This inundated portions of Sailors Creek Road, which is about 3 miles northwest of Callands.
A mudslide closed one land of U.S. Highway 58, about 3 miles east southeast of Axton.
Heavy rains brought Fall Creek out of its banks, flooding a portion of Irisburg Road, about 2 miles northwest of Aiken Summit.
Mulberry Creek flooded a portion of Spruce Street, and washed out a portion of Sam Lions Trail.
Leatherwood Creek flooded a portion of Old Liberty Drive.
A small stream that feeds into Dry Branch, flooded, closing a portion of North Meadows Road. This occurred about 1 mile southeast of Chalk Level.
A portion of Stinking River flooded, resulting in high water flowing cross Johnson Mill Road. This is about 4 miles east of Chalk Level.
Fall Creek flooded Water Street and Halifax Street in Danville. Evacuations were needed from two homes and a church.
Stinking River flooded Route 671, between Routes 792 and 665. This is about 3 miles east of Gretna.
Blacks Creek flooded Route 677/White Fall Road, about 2 miles southeast of Mt. Airy.
Little Sycamore Creek flooded Route 637/Jacobs Road. This is 2 miles east southeast of Motley.
The headwaters of Little Straightstone Creek flooded Router 631/Dews Road, one and a half miles north of Glenland.
Flyblow Creek flooded a portion of Route 618/Farmers Road, one mile west of Renan.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, May 2008
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: 99246, 99249, 99258, 99261, 99262, 99370, 99267, 99384, 99374, 99386, 99388, 99271, 99272, 99390, 99391, 99404, 99429, 99435, 99438, 99445, 99451.