Tropical Storm Hanna made landfall along the North Carolina/South Carolina border during the early morning of September 6th as a strong tropical storm. The system then proceeded to move rapidly north and then northeast along Interstate 95 reaching the southern Chesapeake Bay by the afternoon.
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.
Tropical Storm Hanna made landfall along the North Carolina/South Carolina border during the early morning of September 6th as a strong tropical storm. The system then proceeded to move rapidly north and then northeast along Interstate 95 reaching the southern Chesapeake Bay by the afternoon. The strongest winds with Hanna remained east of the center over eastern North Carolina and southeast Virginia while persistent bands of heavy rain developed east of the Blue Ridge. This axis of heavy rain persisted over much of the piedmont and foothills from the pre-dawn hours of Saturday morning through about midday. This resulted in impressive rainfall totals of between 3 and 6 inches in a narrow corridor over parts of the piedmont while a sharp gradient to an inch or less was seen closer to the eastern slopes of the mountains.
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 Sep 6, 2:03 AM EST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
303 AM EDT SAT SEP 6 2008
.SYNOPSIS...
HANNA WILL ACCELERATE NORTH THIS MORNING THROUGH EASTERN NORTH
CAROLINA AND THEN NORTHEAST THROUGH EASTERN VIRGINIA THIS
AFTERNOON. RAINFALL WILL EXIT THE REGION BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL SLOWLY BUILD ACROSS THE AREA FOR THE FIRST OF
NEXT WEEK.
&&
.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/...
KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF PCPN SHIELD AND RATES AS
IT PUSHES TOWARD THE BLUE RIDGE THIS MORNING. 06Z RNK SOUNDING
SHOWING PWATS NEAR 2 INCHES. AM A LITTLE WORRIED THE 00Z GFS MAY
BE CLOSE TO RIGHT WITH ITS 3-5 IN MAX QPF AREA OVER PORTIONS OF
THE PIEDMONT. IT APPEARS TO BE PERFORMING WELL BASED ON CRNT
RADAR TRENDS...ALTHOUGH RATES MAY BE HIGH. HAVE PUSHED HIGHER QPFS
FURTHER WEST INTO THE FTHLS BUT WITH MAX AMOUNTS STILL NEAR 4
INCHES IN THE EXTREME EAST. MAY NEED TO EXPAND FFA WESTWARD A
BIT...BUT WILL WAIT FOR NOW.
BACK EDGE OF THE RAIN SHIELD SHOULD FALL WITHIN THE CWA...CLOSER
TO THE I-77 CORRIDOR. ONCE THE SYSTEM GAINS AN EVEN LATITUDE WITH
THE CWA LATE THIS MORNING OR EARLY THIS AFTN...SHOULD BEGIN TO SEE
A RAPID WANE IN PRECIP AND CLOUD COVER FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
WINDS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE CWA LATE TONIGHT...STRONGEST
GUSTS...25-35 MPH...OVER SOUTHSIDE VA...CLOSER TO THE STORM TRACK.
WINDS IN THE WAKE OF THE STORM WILL REMAIN GUSTY...EVEN ALONG THE
BLUE RIDGE AS STRONGER NORTHWEST CROSS BARRIER FLOW DEVELOPS.
&&
.SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/...
HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTROL OUR WEATHER FOR SUNDAY INTO THE BEGINNING
OF NEXT WEEK. DEWPOINTS MIXING OUT IN THE AFTERNOON COULD PRODUCE
LOW TEMPS IN THE 50S TO NEAR 60F REGION WIDE MONDAY AND TUESDAY
MORNING. ALTHOUGH OP NAM/GFS ARE SQUEEZING OUT A TOUCH OF PRECIP ON
MONDAY...BUT THIS IS PROBABLY BECAUSE DEWPOINTS ARE TOO WARM. FOR
NOW...JUST HAVE SLT CHC POPS IN THE EXTREME NW NC MOUNTAINS. TEMPS
WILL WARM UP NICELY AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WHICH SHOULD ARRIVE IN
THE LONG TERM.
&&
.LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
EXPECTING FRONTAL PASSAGE LATE TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY
MORNING...NOT EXPLICITLY FOLLOWING LR MODELS...BECAUSE OF THEIR
TYPICAL FAST BIAS WITH COLD FRONTS THIS MANY DAYS AWAY.
THUS...TUESDAY MAY STILL BE A NICE DAY IN THE CENTRAL AND SE
SECTIONS OF THE CWA...PROBABLY THE WARMEST DAY OF THE NEXT SEVERAL
WITH SW FLOW AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THE OP GFS AND THE ECMWF ARE TWO
DIFFERENT SIDES...IN RELATION TO THEIR AMPLITUDE IN THE UPPER FLOW
INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THIS HAS HUGE IMPLICATIONS ON THE
EVENTUAL TRACK OF IKE. THE OP GFS IS DEEPEST WITH THE TROUGH AND
HINTS AT A TURN TO THE NORTH..SIMILAR TO HANNA...WHEREAS THE MORE
FLAT ECMWF TAKES IT ACROSS FL AND INTO THE GULF. HARD TO TOTALLY
DISCOUNT THE OP GFS...CONSIDERING THE RIDGING BUILDING ALONG THE
WEST COAST...BUT FOR NOW WILL PLAY THE MIDDLE ROAD BETWEEN THE TWO.
NONETHELESS...ANOTHER FRONT IS EXPECTED TO ENTER THE WESTERN HALF
OF THE CWA AT THE END OF THE FORECAST...AND EITHER THAT MAY BRING
PRECIP OR WHATEVER FORM/LOCATION IKE IS IN IF IT MAKES A TURN
TOWARDS THE SE COAST. THUS...PLACED HIGHEST POPS IN FRIDAY NIGHT.
FOR TEMPS...THE OP GFS WAS THE COLDEST AT H85...AND THE ECMWF THE
COLDEST...SO AGAIN USED VALUES IN BETWEEN FOR H85 ADJUSTMENTS/MAX
MIN TEMPS.
&&
.AVIATION /07Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
FIRST SUBSTANTIAL RAINBAND FROM HANNA IS ON THE DOORSTEP OF KDAN
AT 0530Z. EXPECTING THIS BAND TO CONTINUE ITS TRACK INTO THE
REGION WITH COVERAGE AND INTENSITY WEAKENING AS IT DOES SO...BEING
NEAR A KBLF-KLWB LINE AROUND 10Z. EXPECTING A MIX OF IFR/LIFR
CIGS/VSBYS TO ACCOMPANY THIS BAND ESPECIALLY IN AREAS EAST OF THE
BLUE RIDGE FOR ABOUT A 2 TO 3 HOUR PERIOD AFTER ITS ONSET.
AFTER A BRIEF BREAK IN THE HEAVIER INTENSITIES IN REGIONS EAST OF
THE BLUE RIDGE...WINDS WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE FROM THE N-NE
TOWARDS 12Z AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT INTENSIFIES AS THE CENTER OF
HANNA MOVES ALONG THE EAST COAST. SUSTAINED WINDS 15 TO 20 KTS
AROUND KLYH AND KDAN ARE EXPECTED WITH GUSTS AROUND 30 KTS
POSSIBLE. PRECIPITATON ALSO IN THIS AREA WILL BE HEAVIEST WITH A
MIX OF IFR/MVFR CONDITIONS. AREAS WEST OF KROA WILL MORE LIKELY
SEE MVFR/VFR CONDIONTS BY MID-MORNING.
BY THE AFTERNOON MUCH OF THE PRECIPITATION AND SUB-VFR CONDITIONS
WILL HAVE PROGRESSED OUT OF THE AREA. WE WILL STILL NEED TO WATCH
FOR AFTERNOON CONVECTION IN THE SE WV MOUNTAINS AS WINDS BECOME
MORE NORTHWEST AND THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND STORMS
CONTINUES HERE. THIS EVENING...A CONTINUATION OF THE NORTHWEST
FLOW AND RESIDUAL MOISTURE MAY ALLOW FOR MVFR VSBYS/CIGS TO
REDEVELOP AFTER 03Z. EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE...NORTHWEST
DOWNSLOPING WINDS WILL ALLOW FOR CLEARING SKIES.
MOUNTAIN AND RIVER VALLEY IFR/MVFR FOG WILL BE POSSIBLE EACH NIGHT
THIS WEEKEND.
A COLD FRONT WILL BRING A RETURN OF SHRA/TSRA ON TUESDAY.
&&
.RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
VA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR VAZ035-044>047-058-
059.
NC...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR NCZ005-006.
WV...NONE.
&&
SYNOPSIS...JS
NEAR TERM...JH/JS
SHORT TERM...JS/KM
LONG TERM...KM
AVIATION...DSHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 303 PM EDT FRI SEP 5 2008 NCZ005-006-VAZ035-044>047-058-059-061915- ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-AMHERST-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX- BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE- 303 PM EDT FRI SEP 5 2008 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM EDT SATURDAY THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLASH FLOOD WATCH. THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM HANNA WILL BRING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS TO THE REGION LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLASH FLOOD WATCH. THE PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL STORM HANNA WILL LIKELY LAST THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. WITH SATURATED SOILS FROM THE WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL THAT IS EXPECTED...WIND GUSTS OF 3O TO 40 MPH MAY DOWN A FEW TREES ACROSS THE AREA BY SATURDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ004-020-VAZ022>024-032>034-043-061915- STOKES-YADKIN-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-FRANKLIN-BEDFORD- HENRY- 303 PM EDT FRI SEP 5 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM HANNA MAY BRING A PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS TO THE REGION LATE TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM HANNA MAY BRING A PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS INTO SATURDAY MORNING. AT THIS TIME...RAINFALL IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE HEAVY ENOUGH TO CAUSE FLOODING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ001>003-018-019-VAZ007-009>020-WVZ042>045-061915- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-WATAUGA-WILKES-TAZEWELL-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES- WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD-CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA- BATH-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE-GREENBRIER- 303 PM EDT FRI SEP 5 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 121 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:29 UTC.
21 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Railroad Avenue closed due to flooding of Poplar Creek.
Widespread flooding of roads across southern Halifax County. Flooding was reported along local routes 738, 701, 604, 710, 716, 636, 602, 707, 688, 740, 733, 685 as well as state route 96. Most reports were in and around Virgilina.
Creek flooding in several spots along Red House Road between Rustburg and Red House.
Ontario Road was closed due to high water.
Whitefall Road closed due to flooding of tributaries to the Bannister River.
Numerous road closures in town due to high water.
A large culvert pipe was washed out along Route 637 (Whitehall Road) making the road impassable.
Route 627 was closed near the Appomattox-Prince Edward County line due to high water running over the road.
Route 638 was flooded by Little Cub Creek. A little further south routes 691 and 701 were flooded near the confluence of Little Cub Creek and Big Cub Creek.
Cub creek flooded closing routes 695 and 616.
Route 668 closed due to flooding along Terrys Creek.
Route 649 closed due to flooding along a tributary of the Roanoke River.
Turnip Creek flooded closing Route 619.
Flooding of Wards Fork Creek flooded Route 650.
Route 619 closed due to flooding along Wards Fork Creek.
Route 636 was closed due to flooding along Perkins Creek.
Agees Creek flooded State Route 631 (Buffalo Road). Water and debris were over the bridge.
A five foot diameter by 40 foot long pipe was washed out on Route 732, making the road impassable.
Route 655 closed due to high water from Tom Fork.
Route 728 closed due to high water along Sandy Creek.
Due to widespread creek flooding, Route 24 was flooded in several locations between Concord and Rustburg.
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, September 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: 135517, 135521, 135612, 135592, 135523, 135522, 135625, 135627, 135593, 135594, 135600, 135601, 135603, 135606, 135608, 135628, 135629, 135524, 135525, 135526, 135613.