Changes coming to River Flood Warnings in Halifax, Charlotte counties

Criteria raised for flood warnings along Roanoke (Staunton) River

ROANOKE, Va. – Starting August 16, the National Weather Service in Blacksburg is changing how they warn for flooding along the Roanoke (Staunton) River near Randolph.

In an official statement released Thursday morning, the National Weather Service in Blacksburg stated, "Based on input from local Emergency Management in Halifax and Charlotte counties and repeated field visits during and after flood events it has been determined that the observed flood impacts did not meet the criteria established by the NWS for these categories. As recently as May 20, 2018 the river crested at 26.44 feet, well into the current Moderate flood category which should mean structures are affected and no such impacts were observed."

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You can see the full statement below:

Now, that means that it would take a river level of 30 feet for moderate flooding to be occurring and impacting structures. 

This will eliminate over-warning and put more of a focus on impactful weather along this body of water. If you have any questions, let us know and we can forward those onto the folks at the National Weather Service in Blacksburg.


About the Author:

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.