An unseasonably warm and moist air mass in advance of a strong late spring cold front ignited scattered thunderstorms across southeast West Virginia. Lightning from one of the storms struck a power pole near Frankford and set it on fire, resulting in power outages for the surrounding area.
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 unseasonably warm and moist air mass in advance of a strong late spring cold front ignited scattered thunderstorms across southeast West Virginia. Lightning from one of the storms struck a power pole near Frankford and set it on fire, resulting in power outages for the surrounding area.
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 11, 2:44 PM EST, 3 hours 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 344 PM EDT MON MAY 11 2015 .SYNOPSIS... LOW PRESSURE WAS OVER THE GREAT LAKES WITH A COLD FRONT TRAILING INTO EASTERN TEXAS. THIS FRONT WILL MOVE EAST TONIGHT AND WILL BE OFF THE COAST BY TUESDAY NIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN AND WILL KEEP THE AREA COOL AND DRY THROUGH THURSDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 325 PM EDT MONDAY... REMNANTS OF ANA HAS PULLED AWAY FROM THE AREA...BUT HAS LEFT THE REGION IN A TROPICAL AIRMASS. WITH SOME WEAK CONVERGENCE AND AFTERNOON HEATING OVER THE WEST...HAS GENERATED SLOW MOVING PULSE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS WILL DRIFT TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. THESE PULSE STORMS WILL FADE WITH LOSS OF HEATING BUT MAY NOT COMPLETELY GO AWAY OVERNIGHT AS INSTABILITIES LINGER UNTIL MIXING INCREASES WITH THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT TONIGHT. PREFRONTAL SHOWERS WILL MOVE IN ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS LATE THIS EVENING. AS THE FRONT TRACKS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT...WEST WINDS INCREASE WITH DOWNSLOPING LIMITING CONVECTION ACTIVITY EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. THE BEST CHANCE FOR CONVECTION EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE WILL BE THIS EVENING. DYNAMICS WITH THE FRONT SPLIT WITH THE MAIN PIECE OF ENERGY TRACKING NORTH INTO THE GREAT LAKES AND OHIO VALLEY AND THE OTHER SOUTH INTO THE SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI VALLEY OVERNIGHT. WITH WEAK DYNAMICS...DO NOT EXPECT ANY SEVERE STORMS THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. SOME PULSE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON COULD FLIRT CLOSE TO SEVERE WITH HAIL...BUT OVER ALL ACTIVITY WILL BE THE RUN-OF- THE-MILL THUNDERSTORMS. THE FRONT CROSSES THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT AND WILL BE EAST OF THE PIEDMONT BY LATE TUESDAY MORNING. THE DEW POINT FRONT LAGS BEHIND AND DOES NOT CLEAR THE AREA UNTIL TUESDAY AFTERNOON. WITH CLEARING BEHIND THE FRONT AND A WARM START TO THE DAY...HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL WITH UPPER 70S WEST TO UPPER 80S EAST. PRESSURE RISES BEHIND THE FRONT WILL ALSO BRING BREEZY AND GUSTY CONDITIONS DURING THE DAY TUESDAY. NOTHING CLOSE TO ADVISORY CRITERIA. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 330 PM EDT MONDAY... HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE AREA FOR MID WEEK...PROVIDING FAIR DRY CONDITIONS...TEMPERATURES CLOSE TO THE SEASONAL NORM. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH FOR BREEZY CONDITIONS TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...BUT AS THE HIGH DRIFTS OVERHEAD WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH. MODEL GUIDANCE IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT AND WAS GENERALLY FOLLOWED FOR BOTH THE MAX AND MINS. TRIMMED DEWPOINTS A FEW DEGREES COMPARED TO GUIDANCE PER POTENTIAL TO MIX DOWN DRIER AIR ALOFT. THIS RESULTED IN AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY MINIMUMS 10 PERCENT DRIER THAN PREV FORECASTS. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 300 PM EDT MONDAY... WEATHER PATTERN FAVORS THE RETURN OF THE AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES WITH BUILDING HEIGHTS ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA. THIS WILL RESULT IN AN UPWARD TREND OF TEMPERATURES AND DEWPOINTS WITH AN OVERALL RETURN TO SUMMER-LIKE WEATHER WITH TEMPERATURES 5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL IN ADDITION TO A DAILY THREAT FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. && .AVIATION /20Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 135 PM EDT MONDAY... A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT WILL CROSS OVER THE MOUNTAINS THIS EVENING...THEN OVER THE PIEDMONT TUESDAY MORNING. AHEAD OF THIS FRONT...SLOW MOVING PULSE STORMS ARE FORMING ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS. THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING...THEN FADE WITH LOSS OF HEATING. MORE SHOWERS EXPECTED AS THE FRONT CROSSES OVER THE REGION OVERNIGHT. CONFIDENCE AND TIMING OF THESE AFTERNOON PULSE STORMS OVER A PARTICULAR AIRPORT IS LOW...THEREFORE WILL CARRY VICINITY THUNDERSTORMS AT ALL SITES THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. A MUCH DRIER AIR MASS COMES INTO THE REGION WITH VFR CONDITIONS TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED ON TUESDAY AND POSSIBLY WEDNESDAY. THE NEXT CHANCE OF SUB VFR WEATHER AND PRECIPITATION WILL BE ON FRIDAY. && .CLIMATE... AS OF 425 AM EDT MONDAY... A FEW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS MAY BE SET TODAY. HERE ARE THE CURRENT RECORD HIGHS... ROANOKE 91 IN 1953 LYNCHBURG 94 IN 1896 DANVILLE 94 IN 1953 BLUEFIELD 83 IN 2007 LEWISBURG 82 IN 2007 BLACKSBURG 84 IN 2007 && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...RCS NEAR TERM...RCS SHORT TERM...PM LONG TERM...PM AVIATION...RCS CLIMATE...AMS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 345 PM EDT MON MAY 11 2015 NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059- WVZ042>044-507-508-121945- 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-ROCKBRIDGE- PATRICK-FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL- APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE- EASTERN GREENBRIER-WESTERN GREENBRIER- 345 PM EDT MON MAY 11 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. RCS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
625 PM EDT MON MAY 11 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0624 PM HAIL INDEPENDENCE 36.62N 81.15W
05/11/2015 E0.25 INCH GRAYSON VA TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
BDPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
658 PM EDT MON MAY 11 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0630 PM DEBRIS FLOW 4 NE INDEPENDENCE 36.66N 81.11W
05/11/2015 GRAYSON VA LAW ENFORCEMENT
THE GRAYSON COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED A MUDSLIDE ON
PEACH BOTTOM ROAD.
&&
16SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 710 PM EDT MON MAY 11 2015 VAZ024-035-120015- ROCKBRIDGE VA-AMHERST VA- 710 PM EDT MON MAY 11 2015 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A * SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR... SOUTH CENTRAL ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA... NORTHWESTERN AMHERST COUNTY IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA... * UNTIL 815 PM EDT * AT 710 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A NEW STRONG THUNDERSTORM ONCE AGAIN DEVELOPING NEAR BUENA VISTA CITY...MOVING TO THE EAST AT 15 MPH. * DIME SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING IS ALSO EXPECTED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... BUENA VISTA CITY... FORKS OF BUFFALO... ORONOCO... AND PLEASANT VIEW. THIS INCLUDES VMI. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... PROLONGED HEAVY RAINFALL MAY CAUSE WATER TO FLOW OVER THE ROADWAY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE WHERE THE ROAD HAS BECOME FLOODED. DO NOT STAY IN THE OPEN OR SHELTER UNDER TREES WHEN LIGHTNING THREATENS. SEEK SHELTER INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING OR IN A VEHICLE. && LAT...LON 3774 7947 3782 7942 3768 7908 3757 7927 TIME...MOT...LOC 2308Z 283DEG 14KT 3774 7938 RAB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
712 PM EDT MON MAY 11 2015
VAZ016-032-120015-
PATRICK VA-CARROLL VA-
712 PM EDT MON MAY 11 2015
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A
* SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR...
SOUTHWESTERN PATRICK COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA...
SOUTHEASTERN CARROLL COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA...
* UNTIL 815 PM EDT
* AT 712 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR LAMBSBURG...MOVING TO THE EAST AT 15
MPH.
* DIME SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
ARARAT...
CANA...
FANCY GAP...
AND LAMBSBURG.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
PROLONGED HEAVY RAINFALL MAY CAUSE WATER TO FLOW OVER THE ROADWAY. DO
NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE WHERE THE ROAD HAS BECOME FLOODED.
DO NOT STAY IN THE OPEN OR SHELTER UNDER TREES WHEN LIGHTNING
THREATENS. SEEK SHELTER INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING OR IN A VEHICLE.
&&
LAT...LON 3655 8045 3658 8083 3668 8082 3671 8035
3655 8034
TIME...MOT...LOC 2310Z 260DEG 14KT 3663 8078
RABPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
715 PM EDT MON MAY 11 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0550 PM TSTM WND DMG LEXINGTON CITY 37.78N 79.45W
05/11/2015 CITY OF LEXINGTON VA 911 CALL CENTER
TREE DOWN 735 BUNKERMILL HILL ROAD, LEXINGTON, VA
0550 PM TSTM WND DMG AMHERST 37.58N 79.05W
05/11/2015 AMHERST VA LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREE DOWN NEAR NELSON
0650 PM HAIL 3 W PLEASANT VIEW 37.62N 79.30W
05/11/2015 E1.00 INCH AMHERST VA TRAINED SPOTTER
HAIL REPORTED ON PERA ROAD
&&
16SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
722 PM EDT MON MAY 11 2015
WVZ507-508-120015-
EASTERN GREENBRIER WV-WESTERN GREENBRIER WV-
722 PM EDT MON MAY 11 2015
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A
* SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR...
EASTERN GREENBRIER IN SOUTHEASTERN WEST VIRGINIA...
WESTERN GREENBRIER IN SOUTHEASTERN WEST VIRGINIA...
* UNTIL 815 PM EDT
* AT 721 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS NEAR MEADOW BLUFF AND RAINELLE...MOVING TO THE
NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
* DIME SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM...ALONG WITH FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
RUPERT...
RENICK...
ASBURY...
MEADOW BLUFF...
AND ANJEAN.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
PROLONGED HEAVY RAINFALL MAY CAUSE WATER TO FLOW OVER THE ROADWAY. DO
NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE WHERE THE ROAD HAS BECOME FLOODED.
DO NOT STAY IN THE OPEN OR SHELTER UNDER TREES WHEN LIGHTNING
THREATENS. SEEK SHELTER INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING OR IN A VEHICLE.
&&
LAT...LON 3822 8036 3811 8036 3805 8027 3804 8023
3775 8066 3786 8076 3819 8054 3827 8044
TIME...MOT...LOC 2319Z 213DEG 18KT 3786 8067
RABThe Roanoke radar (KFCX), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:29 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained storm spotter relayed a report of lightning striking a power pole on U.S. 219 in Frankford. The lightning set the power pole on fire. Power was out to a large surrounding area for up to three hours as a result.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, May 2015
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: 577654.