Last Updated on January 3, 2023 9:56 am
The National Weather Service Blacksburg office, which serves Watauga and Ashe counties, has announced their Top 5 Weather Events of 2022.
Two of the five were High Country related, the winter storm of January 16-17 and the recent record cold of December 23-26. The entire Top 5 list can be found below.
1. Remnants of Ian bring damaging winds resulting in one fatality
Photo: Chatham Star-Tribune
Numerous trees were blown down across the foothills and Piedmont of NorthCarolina and the Virginia Piedmont as the remains of Ian moved across ourregion. Tens of thousands of people were temporarily without power. InPittsylvania county, 42% of customers were without power at the peak of theevent. In Campbell County, One tree fell on a car while it was traveling alongthe 2200 block of Bishop Creek Road, causing the car to run off the road, andthe driver was killed. Four families were displaced in Lynchburg when treesfell on homes and an apartment. In Halifax county, four residences weredamaged from down trees, including one family that was displaced.
2. May 26-27, 2022 Tornadoes
From the evening of May 26th to the morning of May 27th, four knowntornadoes touched down in the NWS Blacksburg forecast area.
The first tornado developed at 7:13 PM on May 26th in Yadkin County. This EF1tornado had maximum winds estimated to be 95 mph with a path length of1.5 miles. The tornado touched down in a small wooded area just west ofHowards Branch Road and proceeded north-northeast until lifting alongRedbud Lane. Almost all direct damage consisted of numerous mature treeseither snapped or uprooted, although one shed was also destroyed.
The second tornado touched down in Surry County at 11:03 PM on May 26th.This EF-1 tornado also had maximum winds around 95 mph and touchdown 2.1miles west northwest of Siloam. The tornado was on the ground for approximately2.8 miles with a path width of 100 yards. Numerous hardwood and softwood treeswere either snapped or uprooted along the path of the tornado. No homes weredamaged nor were there any injuries. The tornado lifted in a wooded area a couplehundred yards from Stanford Church Road.
The third tornado of this event was the most destructive. During the morning of May27th, a high end EF2 tornado with maximum winds of 135 mph touchdown 0.4miles southeast of Norwood before heading north northeast toward U.SHighway 221. The tornado crossed Bethany Church Road and Langford Lanewhere two mobile homes were destroyed. The tornado then continuednortheast snapping and uprooting trees just west of the Ivy Hill Golf Course.Additional tree damage was noted on the western slopes of FlemingMountain along Rocky Mountain Road. In total, 15 homes were damagedalong with 35 structures including sheds, outbuildings, and garages. Threeinjuries were reported with zero fatalities. The length of the tornado track wasestimated at 6.25 miles, and the maximum width was approximately 330yards.
The final tornado for this event in the NWS Blacksburg forecast area brieflytouched down in Charlotte County on the morning of May 27th. This EF-1tornado with maximum wind gusts around 95 mph, briefly touched downand primarily affected one private residence along Green View Road.Significant roof damage along with glass doors and windows were broken onthe home. A few trees and power lines were also damaged along Green ViewRoad before the tornado lifted.
3. Jan 16-17 Winter Storm
A wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain resulted in several accidents andthousands of power outages. 3-10” of snow and sleet were common fromnorthwest NC to the Greenbrier Valley and Alleghany Highlands. After theprecipitation ceased, powerful northwest winds brought down several treesacross northwest North Carolina and southwest Virginia. In Carroll County,two cars were struck by falling trees on Interstate 77 near exit 14. A peak windgust of 68 MPH was measured at Boone, and a 75 MPH wind gust wasmeasured at a personal weather station in Blowing Rock,NC.
4. Record cold temperatures December 23 – December 26 2022
A powerful Arctic blast of bitterly cold air impacted two-thirds of thecontinental U.S. over the Christmas Holiday weekend, including the entireBlacksburg forecast area. In addition to record cold, strong winds producedwidespread wind damage knocking out power to over 50,000 AEP customers,leaving some people without the ability to heat their homes. Dangerous windchills were observed with readings ranging from 15 below zero in thepiedmont, to as much as 40 below zero in the mountains.
Location Coldest Temperature Date Coldest SinceBlacksburg -4 12/24 2/21/2015 (-5)Roanoke 3 12/14 2/20/2015 (0)Lynchburg 4 12/24 1/7/2018 (-2)Bluefield -9 12/23-24 2/5/1996 (-9)Danville 6 12/25 1/3/2018 (5)
5. July 12th, 2022 Tazewell County Flash Flood
Numerous homes and public buildings flooded by anywhere from 6 inches to2 feet of water from Indian Creek as it flooded out of its banks within thecommunity of Bandy. At least 14 residents in the area were evacuated toshelters, however no injuries were reported.
More details about this event can be found here:https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/fcb54c51bde7480da7f065844626c62b
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