Aug 31, 2020
An onshore flow on the cool side of a stationary boundary allowed for plenty of moisture from the Atlantic Ocean to move into central Virginia. Warm and moist air overran the cooler air off the Atlantic, resulting in numerous showers and even a couple thunderstorms. Rain was locally heavy at times due to the copious amounts of moisture in place, and this led to several instances of flooding across central Virginia.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database (event 916787). Narrative written by NWS staff at the time of the event.
This event is one of many recorded floods in Rappahannock County. See the full FEMA flood zone map, NFIP claim totals, and disaster history for the area.