Roanoke, VA – Friday 7:55 p.m. Weather Update
9:10AM Weather Update
A tornado watch is in effect for Lynchburg, Southside and parts of the Roanoke Valley until 6:00pm this evening.
Along with the threat for isolated tornadoes, there is a larger threat for flash flooding. All counties are currently under an areal flood watch until 8:00pm tonight.
Friday 7:20 A.M Update from Meteorologist Edward Shaw & Parker Beasley
While it is currently mostly quiet across Southwest Virginia, that will not last long.
We’ve had a report of a landslide covering the entirety of highway 220 N just north of Covington and near Hot Springs. This is likely due to the oversaturated soil from the last several days of rain. It would not surprise me if we see more instances like this as the heaviest bands of rain arrive within the next 2-3 hours.
The worst of the storm is currently impacting South Carolina, with numerous tornado warnings issued outside of the Charleston area. These outer bands will begin to make their way into our region by about 2 PM today, which is when we can expect the greatest tornado threat.
Be prepared for our heaviest rain bands to arrive in the area by 8-9 AM, and last throughout the morning and early afternoon. Flooding will become even more of a widespread issue when this rain enters the area.
Here is a look at 10:00am this morning. Winds will be gusting in the New River Valley.
By noon, we are dealing with streamwise flow out of the south. These storms and bands of rain will bring heavy rainfall to some.
The tornado potential exists for much of the state today.
The risk for flash flooding is greatest along the southern Appalachian mountains today where rainfall totals will likely be over a foot.
An areal flood watch is in effect for all of Southwest and Central Virginia.
High wind warnings are in effect for much of the New River Valley.
As always, we will keep you updated as the worst of the storm makes its way into the area.
Thursday 8 p.m. update
Delaney Tharp is working for you to bring you the latest update on how Helene will impact us here at home. If you missed her live update at 8 p.m., you can watch it below:
Thursday 6:45 p.m. update
Watch as Delaney Tharp gives an update on the potential impacts Helene is expected to bring to our backyard. If you missed her live update at 6:45 p.m., you can watch it below:
A Weather Authority Alert Day has been issued for Friday, September 27th in preparation for the arrival of Helene. Significant flash flooding is the biggest risk with this storm, but there is also a risk of damaging winds and a few tornadoes. Due to these risks, we have issued a WAAD to provide ample preparation time for this storm.
Thursday Morning - 8:00AM Advisory
Hurricane Helene is now a category 2 hurricane and is expected to become a major hurricane (category 3+) before making landfall along the big bend region of Florida. This storm will continue to intensify up until the point of landfall. Then, as it moves inland and north, it will continue to pack a punch, bringing hurricane and tropical storm force winds and conditions to the southeast.
Local impacts will include gusty winds between 20-50mph and heavy tropical rain totaling anywhere between 1-6in.
Thursday Morning Update
The flood potential for today is highest for areas along the Blue Ridge. We will continue to see moderate to heavy rain pushing across the region because of an area of low pressure to our west. This is not associated with Helene, but the rainfall we are seeing adds insult to injury to future rainfall.
Hurricane Helene will make landfall along the Big Bend of Florida later today. Here is a look at futurecast at 8:00PM.
Helene will be moving forward rapidly and will be in our backyard early tomorrow morning. Here is a look at futurecast at 7:00AM. Tropical rain and gusty winds will impact Southwest and Central Virginia all day long.
The flooding risk is highest along the Blue Ridge because of upsloping. As tropical air moves up and across the mountains it condenses and increases the rainfall potential.
There is also potential for tornadoes to form across the state. Since we will be on the dirty side (northeast side) of the storm, the risk is elevated.
Here is a look at the overall threats for tomorrow. We will be dealing with heavy tropical rain all day long with gusty winds and isolated tornadoes. This also raises the potential for localized power outages.
Wednesday Update
Helene is expected to become a major hurricane by Thursday evening, with winds in excess of 120 MPH likely at landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida. Numerous tropical storm and hurricane alerts have been issued for Florida, with many counties issuing mandatory evacuation orders.
For our region, we will begin to see impacts Thursday night. Winds will begin to slightly increase in the evening hours, with the moderate rainfall arriving overnight between midnight and sunrise on Friday. Rounds of tropical rain from Helene’s outer bands will continue throughout the day Friday, with the greatest totals being in the southern Blue Ridge.
However, due to the rainfall we have experienced over the last few days, in addition to the rain brought by Helene, flash flooding will be the number one concern. Rainfall totals from 8 AM Thursday to 8 PM Friday could easily exceed 6″, with widespread totals of 2-4″ expected across the region. Urban areas, areas with poor drainage, roads, and rivers/streams/creeks run the greatest risk of experiencing flooding. Any river flooding we see will continue into Saturday to account for slowly rising water levels.
With the eastern bands of Helene expected to impact our area, there runs a risk for severe weather. It is entirely possible (if not likely) that a few storm cells could spin up some tornadoes, with the greatest likelihood for tornadoes east of the Blue Ridge. Winds will remain steady between 15 to 25 MPH, with gusts potentially exceeding 40 MPH. The combination of significant rainfall and these winds could topple a few trees and potentially cause power outages. Mudslides are also likely in mountainous areas where thin layers of soil and steep terrain would lead to rapid erosion.
There are a few different steps you can take to prepare for this storm.
- have an emergency action plan
- ensure you have properly working flashlights with batteries
- charge electronic devices in advance
- stay off the roads as much as possible
- do not drive through any flooded roadways, as water could be much deeper than it looks.
- secure any loose outdoor objects
- have a way to receive alerts
As always, we will continue to keep you updated as this situation unfolds on air, online, or on our app.