Flash floods swept through parts of Southwest Virginia on Thursday, soaking communities from Radford to Botetourt County and leaving behind a mess city crews are still cleaning up.
In Radford alone, more than 3.5 inches of rain fell in just one afternoon, overwhelming drains and creeks. The downpour forced several roadways and Wildwood Park to close.
“We’re just checking our bridges in the parks to make sure they’re secure,” said Jenni Webb, Director of Communications for Radford City. “There’s erosion of the embankments where that water came up, so, we’re Just looking for those. Also, some trees and limbs are down. So, we are trying to keep people safe and asking them to stay out of Wildwood Park while that happens.”
Damage reports also came in from Bedford County and Troutville, where neighborhoods also experienced downed trees, flooded yards, and brief power outages.
In Troutville, Darlene Deacon says the storm downed several trees in her backyard.
“We’ve been here since 1970, and this is the worst windstorm I’ve ever seen,” Deacon said. “We went through floods and everything else that washed the roads out. But as far as tree damage, this has been the worst.”
The National Weather Service issued an aerial flood watch that remains in effect until midnight, as more pockets of rain are expected throughout the evening.
Radford officials say roads like Park Road, Rock Road, Second Avenue Extended, and New River Drive saw significant flooding.
“The only one that remains closed still is New River Drive,” Webb said. “We didn’t have a lot of calls last night, just one disabled vehicle, which tells us our citizens were listening to our messaging.”
Emergency responders are urging residents to stay alert and avoid flood-prone areas as crews continue assessing damage and clearing debris.