Flash flood warning issued for Central Virginia area

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: AMHERST COUNTY, APPOMATTOX COUNTY, BEDFORD COUNTY, BUCKINGHAM COUNTY, CAMPBELL COUNTY, THE CITY OF LYNCHBURG UNTIL 10:30 PM EDT THURSDAY.

AT 2:36 PM EDT, DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED HEAVY RAIN FROM TROPICAL STORM DEBBY ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. BETWEEN 0.5 AND 1.5 INCHES OF RAIN HAVE FALLEN. THE EXPECTED RAINFALL RATE IS 1 TO 2 INCHES IN AN HOUR. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2.5 TO 4.5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA.

FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN SHORTLY.

HAZARD...LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODING. HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING. SOURCE...RADAR.

IMPACT...LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODING OF CREEKS AND STREAMS, URBAN AREAS, HIGHWAYS, STREETS, AND UNDERPASSES.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLASH FLOODING INCLUDE LYNCHBURG, BUCKINGHAM, BEDFORD, ALTAVISTA, AMHERST, APPOMATTOX, BROOKNEAL.

THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: LIBERTY UNIVERSITY, THE NATIONAL D-DAY MEMORIAL, AND LYNCHBURG AIRPORT.

THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING STREAMS AND DRAINAGES: ALLENS CREEK, APPOMATTOX RIVER, BACK CREEK, ALABAMA CREEK, BEAR BRANCH, BEAR GARDEN CREEK, BEAR CREEK, AND ABBOTT BRANCH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS: TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS. MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES.

RAINFALL OF MORE THAN FIVE INCHES IN SIMILAR STORMS HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH AN INCREASED RISK OF LANDSLIDES AND ROCKSLIDES. IF YOU LIVE ON A MOUNTAINSIDE OR IN A COVE AT THE BASE OF A MOUNTAIN, ESPECIALLY NEAR A STREAM, BE READY TO LEAVE IN ADVANCE OF THE STORM OR AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE SHOULD RISING WATER, MOVING EARTH, OR ROCKS THREATEN.

CONSIDER POSTPONING TRAVEL ALONG MOUNTAIN ROADS DURING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL.

WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO, PLEASE SEND YOUR REPORTS OF FLOODING, INCLUDING MUDSLIDES OR FLOODED ROADS, TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE AT 1-866-215-4324.

REPORTS AND PICTURES CAN ALSO BE SHARED ON THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG FACEBOOK PAGE AND ON TWITTER.