North Carolina, 2010

Flash Flood in North Carolina, March 22, 2010

March 22, 2010 · NWS RNK · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Thunderstorms ahead of a cold front associated with a strong low pressure system brought heavy rain to Watauga County North Carolina.

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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 ahead of a cold front associated with a strong low pressure system brought heavy rain to Watauga County North Carolina.

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 Mar 22, 1:29 AM EST, 2 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 22, 1:29 AM EST, 2 hours 1 minute before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 21, 9:22 PM EST, 6 hours 8 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 21, 10:15 PM EST, 5 hours 15 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Mar 22, 1:18 AM EST, 2 hours 12 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Mar 22, 2:24 AM EST, 1 hour 6 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
324 AM EDT MON MAR 22 2010

NCZ002>005-019-020-VAZ009-012-015>017-032-220815-
ALLEGHANY NC-CARROLL VA-FLOYD VA-GRAYSON VA-PATRICK VA-ROCKINGHAM NC-
SMYTH VA-STOKES NC-SURRY NC-WILKES NC-WYTHE VA-YADKIN NC-
324 AM EDT MON MAR 22 2010

...A LINE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT
ALLEGHANY...CARROLL...FLOYD...GRAYSON...PATRICK...ROCKINGHAM...SMYTH.
..STOKES...SURRY...WILKES...WYTHE AND YADKIN COUNTIES...

AT 316 AM EDT...SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG A LINE
FROM 5 MILES NORTH OF LAUREL SPRINGS TO 16 MILES SOUTH OF
MOCKSVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. VERY HEAVY RAIN
WILL FALL FROM THESE STORMS...AND WILL CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS
AND QUICKLY FILL ROADSIDE DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS.

THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR ENNICE...BAYWOOD...ROARING GAP...AND ELKIN
AROUND 330 AM...BARRETT...CUMBERLAND KNOB...GALAX CITY...AND FRIES
AROUND 335 AM...LOW GAP AND AND PIPERS GAP AROUND 340 AM.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR LATER
UPDATES OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

LAT...LON 3605 8096 3641 8126 3657 8135 3658 8141
      3679 8159 3694 8034 3624 7981 3625 8045
      3612 8044 3609 8050 3604 8050

EXPERIMENTAL

KK

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 142 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:28 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Watauga

When
March 22, 3:30 AM EST to 5:15 AM EST
Where
Watauga County, 0.73 mi NNE of Rominger to 0.77 mi NNE of Rominger
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
36.239, -81.823

Heavy rains caused flash flooding along the Watauga River. Flood waters covered a bridge near the intersection of Watauga River Road and Rominger Road.

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, March 2010

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: 215916.