ROANOKE, Va. – More than 4 inches of rain fell across Roanoke in less than two hours Thursday night, flooding streets, apartments, and businesses. The National Weather Service says the odds of that much rainfall happening are just one in 500.
Between 7 and 11 p.m., more than four inches of rain poured down, leading to the city’s first Emergency Flash Flood Warning since Hurricane Michael in 2018.
“We had at least a dozen people rescued from vehicles that were in standing water,” said Battalion Chief Trevor Shannon with Roanoke Fire-EMS. “The water came up so quickly that people just couldn’t get out in time.”
The heaviest impacts stretched across Botetourt, Roanoke, and Franklin counties. Several roadways and low-lying neighborhoods were covered with water, and even some apartment complexes flooded. U.S. 220 saw some of the most significant impacts, with multiple spots picking up more than two inches of rain in less than an hour.
Sections of the Roanoke River Greenway are currently closed due to flooding and debris from yesterday’s heavy rain. Officials are not yet sure when it will reopen.
“This was definitely a top two. Definitely one of the second most significant events we’ve seen at least in my time,” Shannon said. “The most important thing, and this is said numerous times over and over again, is ‘turn around, don’t drown.’”
Downtown Roanoke has struggled with flash flooding for years. In May, the city launched a nearly $2.7 million stormwater project to install new pipes and improve drainage along Salem Avenue and Campbell Avenue.
“We’re about halfway through the project timeline right now, looking to have that done this fall before we head into the holiday season,” said Ian Shaw, the city’s Stormwater Manager. “We’re working really hard to implement projects that will reduce our flood risk to make us a more resilient city.”
Shaw said additional projects are also in the works, including improvements along Shenandoah Avenue, Kirk Avenue, First Street, Franklin Road, Brandon Avenue, and Peters Creek Road, where major flooding was reported Thursday night.
“We’ve acquired some properties on Meadowbrook Road, and we’ll be restoring the floodplain in wetland areas along a significant portion of Peters Creek,” Shaw said. “That will restore floodplain and help reduce flood risk in that part of the city. We’re in the design phase right now and we’ll see construction of that start spring of 2027.”
The city hopes these upgrades will better protect homes and businesses before the next major storm hits.