61
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$5.0M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Patrick County, Virginia: 61 recorded events between 1996 and 2023. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #440 nationally and #17 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Patrick County, Virginia: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Patrick County is the 2010s, when 21 of the county's 61 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Patrick County archive, flash flood makes up 14.5% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #440 for this hazard and #17 within Virginia, putting it in the 85.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for flash flood in Patrick County with 14 recorded events, while Nov is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 28, 2004 | STUART | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 2023 | ARARAT | 0 | $50K |
| Aug 28, 2023 | ARARAT | 0 | $50K |
| Aug 28, 2023 | WOOLWINE | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 20, 2023 | CHARITY | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 20, 2023 | WOOLWINE | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 20, 2023 | BUFFALO RIDGE | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 22, 2022 | PENNS STORE | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 22, 2022 | STUART | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 22, 2021 | THE HOLLOW | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 22, 2021 | ARARAT | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Patrick County
- Thunderstorm Wind 190
- Hail 125
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Flooding and flash flooding was widespread across Patrick County. Numerous creeks and rivers were reported out of banks with dozens of road closures across the county for much of the day. An apartment complex was evacuated due to a mudslide and multiple swift water rescues were carried out. Polebridge Creek west of Sanville was reported out of its banks and Big Ivy Creek flooded a portion of Route 58 southeast of Meadows of Dan. The Smith River gage at Woolwine (SMWV2) reached its highest crest on record (data only back to 1995) at 16.11 feet (6300 cfs) at 500 AM (EST) on the 29th (old record 12.20 ft. on 9/28/2004). This is a revised value based on a post-flood analysis by VA Department of Environmental Quality. The historic (1921) Bob White covered bridge over the Smith River near Woolwine was washed away as the river rose. Total damages in Patrick County were estimated at $4 million about half from road and infrastructure damage and half from agricultural losses.
Patrick County was declared a Major Disaster under the Presidential Declaration. Calls to 911 dispatch about flooding began shortly 1250 AM EST with water reported near some homes Riverside Drive along Poorhouse Creek in Stuart. At the same time water was also over the road on portions of Jeb Stuart Highway (Route 58) just north of Stuart. Several other roads were later reported closed with up to 1.5 feet of water flowing across Jacks Creek Road. The river gage on the Smith River near Woolwine (SMWV2) gage showed a rise in less than six hours to a crest of 12.35 feet, Minor flood stage is 9 feet and Moderate flood stage 11 feet. This was the 2nd highest reading at this gage since data started there in 1995 and was roughly a 5-10 year annual recurrence interval (0.20 to 0.10 annual exceedance probability).
Lone Ivy Road was reported to be flooded. The Smith River near Woolwine gage (SMWV2) rose above Minor flood stage of 9 feet by 545 AM EST and crested at 9.75 feet at 845 AM EST. This was the 5th highest stage in the period of record at this gage with data back to 1995. According to USGS data this was just below a 10-year recurrence interval flood (0.1 annual chance of occurrence).
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Patrick County, Virginia?
61 flash flood events are recorded in Patrick County between 1996 and 2023, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Patrick County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Patrick County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Patrick County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Flash Flood in Patrick County, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/patrick-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.