The Shenandoah Valley has a high risk of flooding due to a slow-moving storm that will impact Virginia over the next few days.
A flood watch has been issued starting tonight and running through Tuesday at 8 p.m.
The flood watch region encompasses portions of central, northwest and western Virginia including the counties of Augusta, Rockingham, Albemarle, Greene, Nelson, Madison, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Warren.
The U.S. National Weather Service forecast predicts flooding due to excessive rainfall over a 24-hour period. Two to four inches of rain is likely with locally higher amounts possible along the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
A prolonged period of moderate to heavy rain with embedded thunderstorms is expected tonight into Tuesday.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tom Kines said Mother Nature isn’t even going to try to beat the weather we had over the weekend.
“A very slow-moving storm over the Gulf coast states will inch its way toward Virginia the next few days,” he said. “Showers will overspread the state today and continue tonight, tomorrow and probably Wednesday while raising the flood threat.”
The streams and rivers should be able to handle the rain today, Kines said, but the additional rain tonight and tomorrow could cause flooding problems.
While there will still be showers on Wednesday, the showers will be much less numerous.
“The Shenandoah Valley and the mountains have the highest risk of flooding but even the eastern half of the state can’t ignore the flood threat,” Kines said.
“If we can escape the flooding, this rain will obviously will be very beneficial.”
Many of the areas targeted by the storms are in a drought watch advisory, according to the Department of Environmental Quality.
Kines said there could be a thunderstorm or two on Thursday or Friday but there will be long stretches of rain-free weather as well.
The return of humid weather will accompany the rain especially on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“A warm and rather humid air mass will remain in place during the second half of the week,” he said. “It’s not out of the question there will be a severe weather threat somewhere in the state Friday or Saturday.
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Crystal Graham
