On the evening of October 3rd, lightning stuck a house in Big Island, VA. The strike blew open the bathroom wall and caused a small fire.
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The episode as NWS RNK wrote it up.
On the evening of October 3rd, lightning stuck a house in Big Island, VA. The strike blew open the bathroom wall and caused a small fire.
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 Oct 3, 5:42 PM EST, 28 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 642 PM EDT Sun Oct 3 2021 .SYNOPSIS... A cold front will approach the Mid Atlantic tonight but stall overhead and linger throughout the week, which should bring a prolonged period of clouds and showers. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/... As of 635 PM EDT Sunday... Areas of light to moderate rain, and also some heavier rain showers and thunderstorms are working their way into the region from west to east. Where showers have been able to tap better instability from some daytime heating earlier today, isolated storms are forming. The most recent ones are near Floyd and Buchanan Virginia and heading northeast. Others may develop from a stronger cluster of showers crossing the NC/VA state line between Collinstown, NC and Stuart, VA. Others will be possible heading into and through the evening, especially in areas east of where the currently eastern extent of the showers/storms exist. Have also tweaked hourly temperatures, dew points, and sky cover grids based upon the latest observations and expected trends through the evening hours. As of 155 PM EDT Sunday... Confidence is high for clouds and showers late tonight and Monday as a cold front arrives from the west. Clouds are increasing from the west as a cold front crosses the Ohio River Valley this afternoon. A potent upper level low over the Great Lakes accompanies this cold front, so most of the dynamical energy will stay to the north. Showers are already entering far southwest Virginia and southeast West Virginia faster than any of the model guidance, but those showers are fighting against drier air still holding over the Piedmont. Temperatures have been tweaked cooler where clouds and showers are arriving. Meanwhile, it should be another unseasonably warm day east of the Blue Ridge. Cloud cover will increase further eastward tonight, and the potential for showers should spread toward the Blue Ridge. Some patchy fog may be possible, but it will be hampered by the increasing cloudiness. Monday looks to be mainly damp and cloudy with occasional showers. If any sunshine can peek through the holes in the clouds, there would be enough instability to trigger an isolated thunderstorm, but it looks rather unlikely. Because of the clouds and showers, temperatures on Monday were pushed notably lower as the blended guidances are way too warm and not handling this situation well at all. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... As of 205 PM EDT Sunday... Chance for showers increase on Tuesday. The medium range deterministic models are in fairly good agreement that an upper level low forms in the Southern Mississippi Valley during this forecast period. In addition, PWAT values increase to 1-2 standard deviations above average during this period as the low level flow backs to the southeast. Increased POPs, especially on Tuesday as the increased moisture combined with an increasingly diffluent flow aloft should help spawn showers and even the possibility of a few storms, especially in the east, as the GEFS 31-member ensemble shows a high probability of CAPES exceeding 250 j/kg on Tuesday afternoon. Ares of fog and low ceilings are likely Tuesday morning with the SREF output painting a strong signal for these conditions, especially in the mountains and foothills. As for temperatures, with an abundance of clouds, shaved a few degrees of the NBM highs for Tuesday and kept low temperatures Monday night and Tuesday night on the warm side of guidance. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... As of 205 PM EDT Sunday... A prolonged period of showers could lead to minor flooding The long term period of the forecast will be dominated by an upper level low that lifts northeast into the Ohio Valley by Thursday, then there is considerable uncertainty if the low opens into an upper level wave or remains closed, with the EPS, GEFS and CMCE ensemble member clusters showing the most likely scenario for late in the week keeping a deeper trof over the Ohio Valley. Trends in the deterministic long range models also support this with the latest model runs trending stronger with the surface wedge of high pressure over our region. As a result, went a few degrees below the NBM forecast for highs, and kept likely POPs for most the area through Friday. There are some subtle signals that successive days of moderate rain showers could bring some minor flooding concerns to our area, especially Thursday and Friday with the ECMWF ensembles showing abnormally high 24 hour QPF values during for this time of year. PWAT values will also be close to two standard deviations above average. In addition, the ensemble river forecasts show a very wide spread in QPF values late in the week, leading to a low confidence QPF forecast. A minority of ensemble members suggest minor flooding is possible late in the week for the Dan and Roanoke Rivers and will keep a mention of localized flooding in the Hazardous Weather Outlook. With rainfall rates not expected to be excessive at this point, would expect the threat to be more for flooding versus flash flooding. && .AVIATION /00Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... As of 155 PM EDT Sunday... Clouds and showers will steadily increase from the west toward BLF and LWB this afternoon, but VFR appears likely to hold at all sites until later tonight as a cold front approaches. Ceilings should fall to MVFR and perhaps lower by Monday morning, while some patchy fog is also possible west of the Blue Ridge. Confidence is highest for the potential of IFR ceilings at BLF, LWB, and BCB. Showers should become more widespread during Monday, so confidence is high that flying conditions will be rather poor to start the day. ROA, LYH, and DAN may be able to improve enough to VFR by midday though there could certainly be temporary downgrades due to passing showers. BLF, LWB, and BCB may not see conditions improve to VFR even into the afternoon. Extended Aviation Discussion... Poor flying weather is likely during Monday night and Tuesday due to low ceilings and fog. Damp and cloudy conditions could persist through the end of this week due to an easterly flow pumping more moisture and the continued threat of rain. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...None. NC...None. WV...None. && SYNOPSIS...PW NEAR TERM...DS/PW SHORT TERM...PH LONG TERM...PH AVIATION...PW
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 311 AM EDT Sun Oct 3 2021 NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059- WVZ042>044-507-508-040715- 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- 311 AM EDT Sun Oct 3 2021 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...Today and tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. Several periods of showers, and maybe a few storms can be expected this period. Moderate to at times heavy rain could lead to localized flooding especially by Wednesday and Thursday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:08 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck a house in the 1200 block of Ivory Grove Road. The lightning blew out the bathroom wall and caused a small fire. Damage values are estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, October 2021
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: 988737.