Virginia, 2023

Coastal Flood in Virginia, September 23, 2023

September 23, 2023 · NWS AKQ · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Tropical Storm Ophelia tracked northward across east central North Carolina and up through central Virginia from early Saturday morning, September 23rd into early Sunday morning, September 24th. The combination of high pressure to the north and the storm resulted in very strong northeast, east and then southeast winds which caused moderate to major (tidal) coastal flooding across portions of the…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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

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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 AKQ wrote it up.

Tropical Storm Ophelia tracked northward across east central North Carolina and up through central Virginia from early Saturday morning, September 23rd into early Sunday morning, September 24th. The combination of high pressure to the north and the storm resulted in very strong northeast, east and then southeast winds which caused moderate to major (tidal) coastal flooding across portions of the James River.

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 Wakefield, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 22, 8:51 PM EST, 5 hours 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 22, 8:51 PM EST, 5 hours 9 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 coastal flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Coastal Flood, James City

When
September 23, 2:00 AM EST to 6:30 AM EST
Where
James City forecast zone
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
37.292, -76.740 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tropical Storm Ophelia tracked northward across east central North Carolina and up through central Virginia from early Saturday morning, September 23rd into early Sunday morning, September 24th. The combination of high pressure to the north and the storm resulted in very strong northeast, east and then southeast winds which caused moderate to major (tidal) coastal flooding over portions of James City county. Jamestown reached 5.23 feet MLLW at 542 am on Saturday, September 23.

What these are

Coastal Flood
Flooding of coastal land by the sea, from storm surge, onshore wind or high tides.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Virginia in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, September 2023

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: 1143037.