North Carolina, 2019

Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in North Carolina, June 17 to 18, 2019

June 17 to 18, 2019 · NWS RNK · 6 events in 3 counties and zones

5 to 4 inches in a few hours in parts of northeast Surry and northwest Stokes County. Localized flash flooding also occurred in Watauga County.

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
$50,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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.

Late evening thunderstorms on the 17th produced rainfall of 2.5 to 4 inches in a few hours in parts of northeast Surry and northwest Stokes County. Localized flash flooding also occurred in Watauga County.

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 Jun 17, 6:42 AM EST, 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 17, 6:42 AM EST, 18 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 17, 4:23 AM EST, 2 hours 37 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Blacksburg VA
523 AM EDT Mon Jun 17 2019

VAZ007-010-011-014-018>020-022>024-034-035-045>047-WVZ042>044-507-
508-180930-
Tazewell-Bland-Giles-Montgomery-Craig-Alleghany VA-Bath-Roanoke-
Botetourt-Rockbridge-Bedford-Amherst-Campbell-Appomattox-Buckingham-
Mercer-Summers-Monroe-Eastern Greenbrier-Western Greenbrier-
523 AM EDT Mon Jun 17 2019

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Virginia, south
central Virginia, southwest Virginia, west central Virginia and
southeast West Virginia.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected this afternoon and
evening. The main threats will be damaging winds and isolated large
hail. Heavy rain is also likely with these storms which may result in
localized flooding.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

Strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible Tuesday and Wednesday.
The main threats will be damaging winds and isolated large hail.
Heavy rain is also likely with these storms which may result in
localized flooding.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

NCZ001-002-018-VAZ009-012-013-015>017-032-033-043-044-058-059-180930-
Ashe-Alleghany NC-Watauga-Smyth-Wythe-Pulaski-Grayson-Carroll-Floyd-
Patrick-Franklin-Henry-Pittsylvania-Halifax-Charlotte-
523 AM EDT Mon Jun 17 2019

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest North Carolina,
south central Virginia, southwest Virginia and west central
Virginia.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected this afternoon and
evening. The main threat will be damaging winds. Heavy rain is also
likely with these storms which may result in localized flooding.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

A few storms Tuesday and Wednesday could become strong, and possibly
severe. Damaging wind gusts are the main threats. Localized flooding
is possible too, especially closer to the Blue Ridge.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

NCZ003>006-019-020-180930-
Surry-Stokes-Rockingham-Caswell-Wilkes-Yadkin-
523 AM EDT Mon Jun 17 2019

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north central North Carolina
and northwest North Carolina.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 67 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:02 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 heavy rain, 3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Surry

When
June 17, 7:00 AM EST to June 18, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Surry County, 2 mi W of Mt Airy
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
36.500, -80.656

Mt. Airy 2 W COOP (MTAN7) had 1.69 for the 24-hours ending at 700 AM EDT, which was a record for the date. The old record was 1.48 inches set in 1945. This one of the longest continuous running climate stations in the region with data back to 1893.

Heavy Rain, Surry

When
June 17, 7:00 AM EST to June 18, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Surry County, 0.84 mi WNW of Elkin
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
36.255, -80.864

Elkin COOP (EKNN7) had 1.90 for the 24-hours ending at 700 AM EDT on the 18th, which was a record for the date. The old record was 1.35 inches set in 1972. Nearly continuous rainfall records have been kept at this site since 1913.

Heavy Rain, Surry

When
June 17, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Surry County, 4.3 mi W of Mt Airy
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
36.500, -80.697

Mt. Airy 4.3W CoCoRaHS had 2.74 of rain in the 24 hours ending 700 AM EDT on the 18th.

Flash Flood, Stokes

When
June 17, 8:30 PM EST to June 18, 11:30 PM EST
Where
Stokes County, 1.81 mi SSE of Asbury to 1.98 mi W of Francisco
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
36.506, -80.416

A flooded tributary of Big Creek washed out a portion of Christian Road causing an automobile accident when a car went off the damaged road.

Flash Flood, Stokes

When
June 17, 8:45 PM EST to 11:45 PM EST
Where
Stokes County, 4.3 mi S of Asbury to 1.69 mi SW of Francisco
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
36.468, -80.438

Several roads were reported to be flooded and closed including a public report of water flowing across the intersection of NC-89 and Asbury Road.

Flash Flood, Watauga

When
June 18, 5:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Watauga County, 0.7 mi ESE of Perkinsville to 0.81 mi ESE of Perkinsville
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
36.217, -81.658

Daniel Boone Road was flooded by a tributary from the Middle Fork South Fork New River.

What these are

Heavy Rain
Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
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 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, June 2019

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 838440, 838443, 839497, 837987, 837992, 841038.