Flash flood watch extended to Wednesday in central Shenandoah Valley

As steady rain continued to fall up and down the Shenandoah Valley on Tuesday, a flash flood watch was extended to 6:00 pm on Wednesday, according to WHSV TV-3.

The remnants of Tropical Storm Lee could dump 3-5" of rain in the area before moving out. Tuesday's temperatures stayed in the 50s under overcast skies with rain that began Monday morning. On-and-off windy conditions have caused concern for trees falling across power lines because of saturated ground.

Keep tuned to WHSV TV-3 and NBC-29 for updates on the flooding situation.

Raging waters flood Augusta County 2011

 Off Rt. 250 west of Staunton. Water seen in background is normally a farm pasture.

 Morris Mill Road west of Staunton. This is not a pond ... it's their side yard.

 Off Rt. 250 west of Staunton. The Middle River is to the left in the photo beyond the trees.

 The Middle River in western Augusta County overflowed it banks and caused extensive flooding.

 Whiskey Creek roared toward Churchville.

This house once again had its driveway cut off from the main road by Whiskey Creek. All the places that flooded in January 2010 experienced it again on April 16, 2011. The storms and flooding were as bad in most places as last time, and a tornado touched down in Stuarts Draft in southern Augusta County.

Sadly, a 41-year-old woman and eight-year-old girl lost their lives when swept away by the flooded Rockfish Run whose waters run off Afton Mountain into the South River at Waynesboro.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
16 April 2011

Flash flood watch in SWAC area ... fog on Afton

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch through 4 p.m. today for Augusta County, Staunton and Waynesboro, along with the surrounding region, with a possibility of 2-3 inches of rain throughout Monday. Also be aware of fog on I-64 crossing Afton Mountain.

From WHSV TV-3 out of Harrisonburg:

A Flash Flood Watch has been issued for Augusta, Highland,Pendleton, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Page, Grant, & Hardy counties until Monday afternoon. Showers with very heavy rain rates will bring 2 to 3 inches of rain to some areas making conditions for flash flooding possible.

It's a rainy day in the Valley....

Afton Mountain roadway damaged in flooding

~Rt. 250 loses 30-foot section of roadway~

The weekend flooding in the Shenandoah Valley and surrounding mountains took a toll on Rt. 250 on the western side of Afton Mountain between Waynesboro and the mountain top. A huge chunk of highway fell away in a "slope failure" which could also be called a mudslide. See this News-Virginian photo by Rosanne Weber.

Cleanup and roadway repairs are underway after the weekend's downpours caused flash flooding in the central Shenandoah Valley. More photos of the January 2010 flood waters:

- Middle River floods in central Shenandoah Valley
- 2010 ... more flash flood photos from Augusta County
- Flash floods in Augusta County
- Parts of Shenandoah Valley under water ... schools closed, roads flooded
- After the storm ... a rainbow

After the storm ... a rainbow

After 24 hours of downpours ...

... a rainbow appeared over the Shenandoah Valley.

January 2010 flood posts:
- Middle River floods in central Shenandoah Valley
- 2010 ... more flash flood photos from Augusta County
- Flash floods in Augusta County
- Parts of Shenandoah Valley under water ... schools closed, roads flooded

Photos by SWAC Girl
Lynn Mitchell
25 January 2010

Middle River floods in central Shenandoah Valley

The high water sign was warning of ...

... this roadway in western Augusta County where water from the Middle River was several feet deep. After 24 hours of steady downpours, creeks and rivers overflowed their banks all over the Shenandoah Valley. Public schools in Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Page, Orange, Madison, Nelson, and Rockbridge were closed on Monday due to flash flooding.

Utility post in the overflow of the Middle River where it flows under Rt. 250 west of Staunton. The bridge is to the far right of the photo ... everything else is normally a field but on Monday had turned into a huge lake.

The back yard of friends' home on the Middle River normally extends to where the trees can be seen in the middle of the water. They were safe in their house high on the hill.

View of the flooded Middle River from our friends' rear deck.

January 2010 flood posts:
- Middle River floods in central Shenandoah Valley
- 2010 ... more flash flood photos from Augusta County
- Flash floods in Augusta County
- Parts of Shenandoah Valley under water ... schools closed, roads flooded

Photos by SWAC Girl
Lynn Mitchell
25 January 2010

2010 ... more flash flood photos from Augusta County

Flooded driveway in western Augusta County. Even after water had receded in other areas, this stream was still roaring at mid-day on Monday.

Entrance to Eastwood Subdivision west of Staunton where the Middle River overflowed.

Canada geese enjoy a makeshift pond in a flooded field.

Whiskey Creek was still lapping at the surface of this low bridge at mid-day.

Flooded roadway and yard.

This is normally a tiny little trickle coming off the mountain.

Whiskey Creek roars toward Churchville.

Roadway is flooded with water erosion.

Dangerous waters in a normally placid creek.

January 2010 flood posts:
- Middle River floods in central Shenandoah Valley
- 2010 ... more flash flood photos from Augusta County
- Flash floods in Augusta County
- Parts of Shenandoah Valley under water ... schools closed, roads flooded

Photos by SWAC Girl
Lynn Mitchell
25 January 2010

Flash floods in Augusta County

Water gushes in this mountain stream in Pastures District in western Augusta County.
High water signs were seen throughout the county.
Behind St. James Church in Churchville.
Churchville community park where picnic shelter, horseshoe pits, and playground were all flooded.
The playground behind St. James located on Rt. 250 in "downtown" Churchville. The church had 1-2 feet of water in the basement but members were out bright and early Monday morning pumping out the water and the ladies were in the kitchen clearing out the lower cabinets and cleaning up.

With local schools closed due to flash flooding and the sun peeking through overcast skies, we drove the backroads of western Augusta County Monday and saw many roadways that were flooded, some with erosion water damage.

Pastures District, where much of the area is national forest, had much flooding due to the watershed effect as thousands of gallons of rain water flowed down the mountain slopes, forcing streams out of their banks and washing out roads.

Many areas that had been covered in water earlier in the morning were just a muddy mess by mid-day. In other areas water still ran across the road but it was still passable ... other areas were not passable due to several feet of water.

January 2010 flood posts:
- Middle River floods in central Shenandoah Valley
- 2010 ... more flash flood photos from Augusta County
- Flash floods in Augusta County
- Parts of Shenandoah Valley under water ... schools closed, roads flooded

Photos by SWAC Girl
Lynn Mitchell
25 January 2010

Parts of Shenandoah Valley under water ... schools closed, roads flooded

Flooded bridge in western Augusta County.
The past 24 hours have seen downpours in the Shenandoah Valley with a flash flood warning in effect until 2:00 p.m. Monday. A neighbor who lives on a nearby stream sent these photos and commented:
"I kept hearing a noise [during the night] that I couldn't identify in between downpours. Finally, about 5:30 this morning, it dawned on me that I was hearing running water. LOTS of running water!!! A quick drive down to the bridge confirmed what I suspected."

This is the neighbor's creek after 24 hours of rain. Because of extreme flooding, Augusta County public schools are closed as well as Nelson, Rockingham, Rockbridge, Madison, Orange, Page, and Shenandoah counties.

Rushing water has caused streams to flood over their banks which will likely cause road damage.

Roadway is completely under water.

My neighbor says it usually take 7" of rain to make the creek flood that way. Someone else was saying this was the worst he had seen since the hurricane of 1996.

Thankfully SWAC House is on a ridge in the Shenandoah Valley so when flooding comes along, we are usually spared the worst of it. My neighbor down the road lives alongside a creek and sent these photos this morning, taken after the sun came up and he could see what was going on. My thanks to him and hope they remain safe.

Our electricity has been blinking all morning ... it finally went out as I wrote up this post but came back on so I'm hurrying to get this up before the electricity goes out again. The wind has picked up ... trees may be leaning on electrical lines.

Sunday saw a high of 38 degrees but overnight the temperature rose to 54 degrees. Daytime temps are to remain in the 50s but will drop into the 20s tonight.

Streets and roads are closed all over the place. Emergency authorities are warning to be careful of flooded roadways and bridges. Flash flood warnings continue. And the neighbor who sent the photos? He cannot get across the creek to go to work today.

It's still winter in the Shenandoah Valley....

January 2010 flood posts:
- Middle River floods in central Shenandoah Valley
- 2010 ... more flash flood photos from Augusta County
- Flash floods in Augusta County
- Parts of Shenandoah Valley under water ... schools closed, roads flooded

Photos by Augusta Minuteman