Summary of July 22, 2019 Severe Weather

Overview

During the day on Monday, July 22nd, an potent upper level trough (for July) was moving east from the Great Lakes region toward the Mid-Atlantic. The flow (at 500 mb) was out of the SW at ~30 knots. At the surface, low pressure was tracking just to our north as the associated cold front was slowly approaching the region from the NW. The cold front was still well NW of our CWA by 8 PM Monday. Temperatures had warmed up to 95-100°F by late Monday afternoon. Given the strong surface heating, the pre-storm environment (5 PM on 7/22) was characterized by a fairly large amount instability and steep low-level lapse rates. In addition, the layers above 850mb were fairly dry. This steep low-level lapse rates and relatively dry mid levels lead to a pre-storm environmental Downward/Downdraft CAPE (DCAPE) value of nearly 1500 J/kg. Generally, DCAPEs of greater than 1000 J/kg signify a decent potential for downdrafts to produce severe wind speeds. At 00z/8 PM on the evening of July 22nd, a few (discrete) thunderstorms were ongoing from Mecklenburg County to interior NE NC. There were numerous reports of wind damage across south-central/southeast VA as these storms tracked to the northeast.

By 10 PM, the storms were right around the NWS Office in Wakefield. However, the storms started to re-strengthen by 11 PM as they approached the VA Northern Neck/Middle Peninsula (despite the continued loss of surface heating). This re-strengthening was at least in part due to the very warm (upper 80s) waters of the Chesapeake Bay and a strengthening southwesterly low-level (925mb) jet. Winds at 925 mb increased to 40 knots by 11 PM-midnight. The storms continued to strengthen as they moved over the Chesapeake Bay from point Lookout to Tangier Island. Perhaps the most impressive report of the night came at 11:30 PM when a wind gust of 81 MPH as measured at the Tangier Island (KTGI) AWOS! The storms went on to produce quite a bit of wind damage on the Lower Maryland Eastern Shore (including several reports in and around Ocean City) between 11:30 PM and 12:30 AM before moving out of the CWA.

See the image below for an overview of all the severe wind reports across the eastern United States from 7/22 through the early morning of 7/23.

Wind Damage Photos
Radar
Storm Reports
Environment

Wind Damage Photos


Wind Damage in Ocean City (Credit: Logan Giles-Twitter)	Wind Damage in Ocean City (Credit: Logan Giles-Twitter)	Trees down in Pendleton, NC (Credit: Amanda Ross-Facebook)	Trees Down in Pendleton, NC (Credit: Amanda Ross-Facebook)

Radar

Header


7/22 8 PM 0.5° Base Reflectivity (Left) and Base Velocity (Right)	7/22 10 PM 0.5° Base Reflectivity (Left) and Base Velocity (Right)	7/22 11 PM 0.5° Base Reflectivity (Left) and Base Velocity (Right)	7/23 12 AM 0.5° Base Reflectivity (Left) and Base Velocity (Right)

Storm Reports

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
1243 AM EDT TUE JUL 23 2019

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1002 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 SSW LITTLETON         36.88N 77.16W
07/22/2019                   SUSSEX             VA   PUBLIC           

            TREES REPORTED DOWN ALONG VA-35 JUST NORTH 
            OF SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY LINE. POWER OUTAGES 
            REPORTED IN THE AREA. TIME IS RADAR 
            ESTIMATED. 

0840 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 NE RIVERDALE          36.59N 76.94W
07/22/2019                   SOUTHAMPTON        VA   DEPT OF HIGHWAYS 

            TREES DOWN ALONG US-258 IN SE SOUTHAMPTON 
            COUNTY. 

0405 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 S FORT LEE            37.21N 77.33W
07/22/2019                   PRINCE GEORGE      VA   UTILITY COMPANY  

            TIME IS RADAR ESTIMATED. TREE DOWNED BETWEEN 
            BAXTER ROAD AND BOISSEAU DR. NUMEROUS POWER 
            OUTAGES REPORTED IN THE AREA. 

1110 PM     TSTM WND DMG     HEATHSVILLE             37.92N 76.47W
07/22/2019                   NORTHUMBERLAND     VA   PUBLIC           

            NUMEROUS TREES REPORTED DOWN AROUND TOWN OF 
            HEATHSVILLE. POWER OUTAGES REPORTED IN THE 
            AREA. 

1105 PM     TSTM WND DMG     HEATHSVILLE             37.92N 76.47W
07/22/2019                   NORTHUMBERLAND     VA   PUBLIC           

            TREE DOWNED IN TOWN OF HEATHSVILLE. MINOR 
            STRUCTURAL DAMAGE REPORTED. 

1115 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SALUDA                  37.60N 76.59W
07/22/2019                   MIDDLESEX          VA   COUNTY OFFICIAL  

            TREES DOWN IN THE SALUDA AREA AT 
            VA-33/CRAFTON QUARTER ROAD INTERSECTION. 

0816 PM     TSTM WND DMG     CHASE CITY              36.80N 78.46W
07/22/2019                   MECKLENBURG        VA   911 CALL CENTER  

            MULTIPLE TREES KNOCKED DOWN THROUGHOUT THE 
            COUNTY. 

0828 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 NE NORTH VIEW         36.81N 78.21W
07/22/2019                   LUNENBURG          VA   911 CALL CENTER  

            TREE KNOCKED DOWN ACROSS ORAL OAKS RD. TIME 
            ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. 

0845 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 SSE CARRSVILLE        36.70N 76.82W
07/22/2019                   ISLE OF WIGHT      VA   PUBLIC           

            2 POWERLINES DOWNED BY NUMEROUS LARGE TREE 
            LIMBS. SEVERAL OTHER LARGE TREES DOWNED IN 
            THE AREA. 

0844 PM     TSTM WND DMG     CARRSVILLE              36.71N 76.83W
07/22/2019                   ISLE OF WIGHT      VA   PUBLIC           

            PORTIONS OF FENCE KNOCKED DOWN, DEBRIS 
            TOSSED ACROSS YARD. TIME ESTIMATED FROM 
            RADAR. 

0618 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 SE UNION MILLS        37.93N 78.29W
07/22/2019                   FLUVANNA           VA   UTILITY COMPANY  

            NUMEROUS TREES REPORTED DOWN ALONG S BOSTON 
            ROAD IN FLUVANNA. 

0910 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 W ADDISON             37.20N 77.52W
07/22/2019                   DINWIDDIE          VA   DEPT OF HIGHWAYS 

            TREE DOWNED ALONG US-460 NEAR DINWIDDIE 
            COUNTY AIRPORT. 

0905 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 SSW INDIKA            36.77N 76.70W
07/22/2019                   CITY OF SUFFOLK    VA   UTILITY COMPANY  

            TREES DOWN ALONG VA-632 IN SUFFOLK. 

0354 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 W RICHARD BLAND COLLE 37.17N 77.40W
07/22/2019                   CITY OF PETERSBURG VA   UTILITY COMPANY  

            TREE KNOCKED DOWN ON POWER LINES. 

0835 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 W COCHRAN             36.84N 77.91W
07/22/2019                   BRUNSWICK          VA   PUBLIC           

            TREE KNOCKED DOWN ACROSS CHRISTANNA HWY. 
            TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. 

1139 PM     TSTM WND GST     TANGIER                 37.83N 76.00W
07/22/2019  M81 MPH          ACCOMACK           VA   AWOS             

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS TSTM WND GST REPORT FROM 
            TANGIER. CORRECTS PREVIOUS TSTM WND GST 
            REPORT FROM TANGIER. 70 KT GUST AT TANGIER 
            (KTGI). 

0810 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 NNE SEVERN            36.53N 77.18W
07/22/2019                   NORTHAMPTON        NC   EMERGENCY MNGR   

            NUMEROUS TREES DOWNED JUST OFF OF HIGHWAY 35 
            IN SEVERN. 

0730 PM     TSTM WND DMG     COLERAIN                36.20N 76.77W
07/22/2019                   BERTIE             NC   UTILITY COMPANY  

            TREE DOWNED IN COLERAIN NEAR COLERAIN 
            BAPTIST CHURCH. 

1220 AM     TSTM WND DMG     1 SSE BERLIN            38.31N 75.21W
07/23/2019                   WORCESTER          MD   PUBLIC           

            TREES DOWNED ONTO A POWERLINE ON HARRISON RD 
            IN BERLIN. 

1210 AM     TSTM WND DMG     2 SSW DAMES QUARTER     38.17N 75.91W
07/23/2019                   SOMERSET           MD   UTILITY COMPANY  

            NUMEROUS TREES DOWNED BETWEEN DEAL ISLAND 
            AND DAMES QUARTER. SEVERAL POWER OUTAGES 
            REPORTED IN THE AREA. 

0930 PM     MARINE TSTM WIND 2 SSW FORT MONROE       36.98N 76.32W
07/22/2019  M49 MPH          ANZ638             VA   MESONET          

            MESONET STATION WDSV2 WILLOUGHBY DEGUASSING 
            STATION. 

0928 PM     MARINE TSTM WIND 2 SSE RALEIGH TERRACE   36.98N 76.36W
07/22/2019  M45 MPH          ANZ638             VA   MESONET          

            MESONET STATION XHMP HAMPTON FLATS. 

0921 PM     TSTM WND GST     4 SSW RALEIGH TERRACE   36.95N 76.39W
07/22/2019  M46 MPH          ANZ638             VA   MESONET          

            MESONET STATION XMGL MIDDLE GROUND 
            LIGHTHOUSE. 

1229 AM     MARINE TSTM WIND 2 SE WEST OCEAN CITY    38.33N 75.08W
07/23/2019  M60 MPH          ANZ650             MD   MESONET          

            MESONET STATION XOCN OCEAN CITY. 


&&

$$

Environment

Synoptic summary.