An area of showers and thunderstorms moved from west to east across southwest Virginia during the afternoon and few stronger embedded cells were able to produce wind gusts up to severe levels. Another cell tracked from eastern Campbell across Appomattox County and produced very heavy rain in a short time, with reports of up to 4 inches of rain and 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.
An area of showers and thunderstorms moved from west to east across southwest Virginia during the afternoon and few stronger embedded cells were able to produce wind gusts up to severe levels. Another cell tracked from eastern Campbell across Appomattox County and produced very heavy rain in a short time, with reports of up to 4 inches of rain and 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 Aug 16, 1:13 PM EST, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 213 PM EDT MON AUG 16 2010 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL STALL ACROSS OUR REGION MEANDER AROUND A BIT THROUGH THURSDAY...THUS KEEPING THE CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FORECAST. THE FRONT WILL FINALLY HEAD TO OUR SOUTH ON FRIDAY...BUT IN ITS WAKE WILL BE ANOTHER DISTURBANCE THAT WILL MOVE THROUGH OUR REGION OVER THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 1630Z...1230 PM EDT...ISOLATED CONVECTION HAS BEEN DEVELOPING OVER THE PAST HOUR IN THE REGIONS THAT HAD INDICATIONS OF BEING MOST PROBABLE LOCATIONS. SHOWERS EXTENDED FROM THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA NORTH TO NEAR WYTHEVILLE VA. THE FIRST CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKE OF THE DAY OCCURRED NOT THAT LONG AGO NEAR WYTHEVILLE. OTHER ISOLATED SHOWERS WERE BETWEEN RICHALANDS VA AND BLUEFIELD WV. THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON...WE ARE STILL EXPECTING COVERAGE TO INCREASE WITH THE GREATEST CONCENTRATION NEAR THE CREST OF THE BLUE RIDGE...WITH A GRADUAL PROGRESSION SOUTHEAST. MOVEMENT OF THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL BE SLOW...SO THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN EXISTS. ONE AREA WHERE THE FORECAST WAS ADJUSTED CONSIDERABLLY SINCE THIS MORNING IS THE NORTH CAROLINA FOOTHILLS. MORNING STRATUS HAS BEEN VERY SLOW TO BURN OFF HERE. EXPECT THAT BY THE TIME IT DOES...THE AREA WILL HAVE A CIRRUS SHIELD OVER IT FROM UPSTREAM CONVECTION. AS SUCH...HAVE KNOCKED AROUND 5 DEGREES OF THE EXPECTED HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THIS AREA. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... FRONT STALLS OUT OVER THE EAST OVERNIGHT LEAVING A RIBBON OF DEEP MOISTURE ACROSS THE REGION BUT DIMINISHING LIFT AS INSTABILITY FADES AFTER MIDNIGHT. MODELS SUGGEST THAT A VERY WEAK WAVE MAY WORK ALONG THE BOUNDARY DURING THE EVENING SO KEEPING SOME HIGHER POPS ACROSS THE EAST WITH THIS FEATURE AS WELL AS OVER THE SW WHERE A LOW LEVEL SE TRAJECTORY COULD DEVELOP AND LINGER THRU THE OVERNIGHT. SINCE SO MUCH MOISTURE IN PLACE AND A FRONT AROUND...WILL KEEP SOME ISOLATED POPS ACROSS MUCH OF THE CWA EVEN AFTER MIDNIGHT. EXPECT ANOTHER ROUND OF FOG IN THE WAKE OF THE RAINFALL ESPCLY IF CAN GET SOME CLEARING LATE AS SUGGESTED BY DRYING ALOFT OFF RAOBS. LOW TEMPS AGAIN MID 60S TO LOW 70S ALTHO PERHAPS A LITTLE COOLER NW WHERE DEWPOINTS MAY FALL OFF MORE BEHIND THE FRONT LATE. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... A WASHED OUT FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN THE FOCUS FOR AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ON TUESDAY. WITH A TROPICAL-LIKE ATMOSPHERE AND PWATS AROUND 2 INCHES...HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE. ACROSS WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...A SHORT WAVE WILL BE INCHING NORTHWARD ON TUESDAY AND INCREASE THE CHANCES FOR MORE WIDE SPREAD CONVECTION TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS IT TRACKS ACROSS THE AREA. MODELS DIFFERING ON TIMING AND PLACEMENT OF THE AXIS OF HEAVY RAIN OVER THE AREA. THE GFS IS THE FASTEST MODEL WITH HEAVY RAIN AXIS ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN WEST VIRGINIA (LWB) INTO THE NORTHERN HALF OF VIRGINIA (CHO-DCA) TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...EXITING THE AREA WEDNESDAY EVENING. THE NAM HAS A CONVECTIVE BULLSEYE ENTERING SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA/NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AROUND MIDNIGHT AND EXITING THE PIEDMONT ON THURSDAY MORNING. THE NAM HAS THE AXIS OF HEAVY RAIN FROM SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA (BLF) TO CENTRAL-NORTHERN VIRGINIA (LYH-DCA). THE CANADIAN MODEL FAVORS THE GFS TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING...THEN GOES OUT ON ITS OWN BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF CONVECTION IN EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. THE ECMWF FAVORS THE NAM TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING...THEN LEANS TOWARDS THE GFS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. DESPITE THE DIFFERENCES IN THE MODELS...TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT LOOKS TO BE MORE WET THAN DRY. TROPICAL-LIKE AIRMASS REMAINS IN PLAY WITH HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL BEING HIGH. BY WEDNESDAY...MAY SEE FLASH FLOOD WATCHES ACROSS PORTIONS...IF NOT ALL OF THE COUNTY WARNING AREA. WILL HIGHLIGHT IN HWO FOR NOW AND SEE WHERE THE RAIN FALLS TUESDAY AND IF MODELS AGREE ON POSITION OF HEAVY RAIN AXIS FOR WEDNESDAY. TEMPERATURES TUESDAY LOOK TO BE A FEW DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AS CONVECTION WILL BE MORE SCATTERED. ON WEDNESDAY...LOWERED TEMPERATURES A FEW CATEGORIES WITH MORE AREAL COVERAGE OF SHOWERS ACROSS THE AREA. TEMPERATURES COULD STILL BE TO WARM IF THE GFS VERIFIES ON TIMING AND THE NAM ON POSITION. TEMPERATURES TUESDAY COULD BE 3-6F OR MORE BELOW NORMAL. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... THE LONG TERM PERIOD CONTINUES TO FEATURE VERY WARM AND MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW INTO THE REGION. A BROAD UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS FEATURED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN CONUS WITH A BIT FASTER ZONAL FLOW ACROSS THE NRN TIER OF THE COUNTRY. WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT AND SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW AT THE SURFACE SUGGESTS OUR WEATHER PATTERN TO REMAIN UNCHANGED. DEWPOINTS AROUND 70 WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP NIGHT-TIME TEMPS ELEVATED WITH DAYTIME TEMPS DEPENDANT ON OVERALL CLOUD COVER FOR THE DAYTIME PERIODS. FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WE WILL BE IN THE WAKE OF WEDNESDAYS SHORT WAVE TROUGH. THIS SUGGESTS POPS RETURNING TO LESS THAN A 50/50 THREAT WITH INCREASED AMOUNTS OF SUN PROVIDING DAYTIME TEMPS A BOOST. ANOTHER SURFACE FRONT IS PROGGED TO MOVE ACROSS THE NRN PLAINS THURSDAY...GREAT LAKES AND OHIO VALLEY FRIDAY...THEN STALL OUT OVER THE MID ATLANTIC REGION FOR THE WEEKEND. FOR NOW WILL GO WITH JUST CHANCE POPS...BUT GIVEN THE SOUPY AIRMASS COULD EASILY SEE AN ORGANIZED AREA OF SHRA/TSRA ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT. OF GREATER INTEREST MAY BE THE POTENTIAL FOR TROPICAL RAINS. BOTH THE ECMWF/GFS ARE LATCHING ONTO THE IDEA OF DRAWING THE REMNANTS OF TD 5 INTO THE AREA. IF THIS OCCURS...THEN IT COULD BE A VERY WET WEEKEND WITH POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN. && .AVIATION /18Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 1730Z...130 PM EDT...A COLD FRONT EXTENDED SOUTHWEST FROM CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA INTO EASTERN TENNESSEE. IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT...UNSTABLE AIR OVER THE APPALACHIAN ALONG WITH SURFACE BASED HEATING...WILL CONTINUE TO ALLOW FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE CREST OF THE BLUE RIDGE WEST TO NEAR THE WV BORDER. ANTICIPATING PRIMARILY VFR CONDITIONS THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON...EXCEPT FOR LOCAL AREAS OF IFR/MVFR UNDER THE SRONGER SHOWERS AND STORMS. ANTICIPATING CONVECTION TO SLOWLY WANE AFTER 22Z WITH LITTLE IF ANY PRECIPITATION STILL AROUND AFTER 06Z. LOOK FOR A RETURN OF POCKETS OF IFR-MVFR CIGS/VSBYS OVERNIGHT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NOCTURNAL INVERSION. ON TUESDAY...MOST AREAS SHOULD BE BACK TO VFR BY 14-16Z WITH SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS DEVELOPING AFTER ABOUT 16Z. TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY EXPECT DAILY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS FORMING ALONG A STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY. LOCALIZED IFR/MVFR CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER CELLS. OVERNIGHT RIVER AND MOUNTAIN VALLEY FOG AND IFR/MFR STRATUS WILL BE POSSIBLE. FRIDAY A BRIEF HIGH PRESSURE WEDGE SCENARIO MAY ESTABLISH ITSELF...SIMILAR TO WHAT TRANSPIRED THIS PAST WEEKEND WITH A BLANKET OF IFR CIGS EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. SATURDAY...ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION. WARM AIR ADVECTION IN ADVANCE OF IT WILL HELP ERODE THE WEDGE IN THE EAST...AND HELP PROMPT SHOWERS AND STORMS IN THE WEST. && .HYDROLOGY... WILL KEEP MENTION THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN TODAY INTO WEDNESDAY IN THE HWO. SINCE THE THREAT IS JUST FOR PERIODS/AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN IN TSTMS...AND FFG IS HIGH MOST LOCATIONS...WILL JUST MONITOR FOR A POSSIBLE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NOW GIVEN THE SPOTTY NATURE OF THE HEAVY RAIN OF LATE. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...DS NEAR TERM...DS/JH SHORT TERM...RCS LONG TERM...PM AVIATION...DS HYDROLOGY...
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 350 AM EDT MON AUG 16 2010 VAZ024-034-035-045>047-059-170800- ROCKBRIDGE-BEDFORD-AMHERST-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-CHARLOTTE- 350 AM EDT MON AUG 16 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH THE PRIMARY THREAT BEING DAMAGING WINDS. IN ADDITION...SOME THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY ALONG A STALLED SURFACE FRONT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS... SO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022-023-032-033-043-044-058- WVZ042>045-170800- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES- YADKIN-TAZEWELL-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON- CARROLL-FLOYD-CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-PATRICK- FRANKLIN-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-HALIFAX-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE-GREENBRIER- 350 AM EDT MON AUG 16 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. CLUSTERS OF SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING ISOLATED DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING COULD OCCUR WHERE THE STRONGER STORMS DEVELOP AND PERSIST. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY ALONG A STALLED SURFACE FRONT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS... SO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
256 PM EDT MON AUG 16 2010
VAZ046-047-161945-
APPOMATTOX VA-BUCKINGHAM VA-
256 PM EDT MON AUG 16 2010
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT APPOMATTOX AND BUCKINGHAM
COUNTIES...
AT 252 PM EDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG A LINE FROM 14 MILES
NORTH OF DILLWYN TO 6 MILES NORTH OF BENT CREEK...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT
10 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 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 CENTENARY AROUND 315 PM AND BUCKINGHAM
AROUND 345 PM.
LAT...LON 3763 7825 3750 7835 3736 7857 3737 7858
3735 7860 3754 7887 3755 7884 3764 7883
3764 7874 3770 7871 3770 7867 3776 7863
3776 7851 3779 7850 3775 7844 3770 7825SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
305 PM EDT MON AUG 16 2010
VAZ012-013-161945-
PULASKI VA-WYTHE VA-
305 PM EDT MON AUG 16 2010
...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WILL AFFECT PULASKI AND WYTHE
COUNTIES...
AT 301 PM EDT...A SHOWER WITH HEAVY RAIN WAS LOCATED 3 MILES SOUTH OF
PULASKI...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH.
A SPOTTER REPORTED OVER 2 INCHES OF RAIN IN ABOUT AN HOUR. THIS WILL
CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS AND QUICKLY FILL ROADSIDE DITCHES AND
SMALL STREAMS. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL MAY LEAD TO WATER PROBLEMS.
THIS SHOWER WILL BE NEAR DRAPER AROUND 315 PM AND ALLISONIA AROUND
345 PM.
LAT...LON 3706 8100 3707 8092 3710 8093 3720 8073
3706 8054 3705 8054 3705 8056 3702 8055
3690 8078 3705 8102SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
324 PM EDT MON AUG 16 2010
VAZ022-023-034-162015-
BEDFORD VA-BOTETOURT VA-ROANOKE VA-
324 PM EDT MON AUG 16 2010
...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT BEDFORD...BOTETOURT AND
ROANOKE COUNTIES...
AT 319 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES NORTHEAST
OF ROANOKE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. VERY HEAVY RAIN
WILL FALL FROM THIS STORM...AND WILL CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS AND
QUICKLY FILL ROADSIDE DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR LAYMANTOWN AROUND 330 PM...VINTON AROUND 345
PM AND STEWARTSVILLE AROUND 400 PM.
LAT...LON 3735 7962 3721 7984 3722 7985 3722 7987
3716 7992 3715 7994 3715 7995 3734 8013
3752 7984SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
335 PM EDT MON AUG 16 2010
VAZ014-017-022-033-162015-
FLOYD VA-FRANKLIN VA-MONTGOMERY VA-ROANOKE VA-
335 PM EDT MON AUG 16 2010
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT FLOYD...FRANKLIN...MONTGOMERY
AND ROANOKE COUNTIES...
AT 331 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER SHAWSVILLE...
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. VERY HEAVY RAIN
WILL FALL FROM THIS STORM...AND WILL CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS AND
QUICKLY FILL ROADSIDE DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR CROCKETT SPRINGS AROUND 415 PM.
LAT...LON 3732 8011 3713 7994 3696 8029 3718 8041
3726 8021The Norfolk radar (KAKQ), 154 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:42 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were reported to be blown down by thunderstorm winds in an area northwest of the town of Buckingham.
Thunderstorm winds blew a tree on a power pole and knocked it over at Alleghany Springs Road and Kirk Hollow Road.
Stonewall Creek was reported out of its banks. A retired NWS employee reported 3.78 inches of rain.
Water was reported to be flowing across a road from a nearby creek.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, August 2010
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: 256574, 256572, 256587, 256593.