Flooding Picture From Fort Eustis

Flash Flood Watch Continues, Tornado Watch For Some Until 7AM

A long moisture plume stretching from Nicole's remnants in the Atlantic continues to spread heavy rains northward through the Commonwealth early this Thursday morning. The Flash Flood Watch remains in effect through this evening, with average rainfall totals of 2"-4", but with higher totals possible around 5" in spots. Overnight we are already getting multiple reports around central Virginia of flooded intersections and poorly drained areas, especially in urban regions. Do not drive your vehicle over water-covered roads. You cannot tell if the road beneath has washed out. Until daylight, please use extra caution if you must travel, as flooding threats are most dangerous in the dark when you cannot see far enough ahead on the road to tell if it is water-covered.

In addition to the flooding threat, there is also the risk for isolated tornadoes in eastern Virginia overnight and through this morning. A Tornado Watch has already been issued for our southeastern area, including Sussex, James City, and Surry Counties, and the City of Williamsburg until 7 a.m. This watch may need to be extended northward into more of the eastern half of Virginia if the threat continues this morning. There have already been three tornado reports in northeast North Carolina overnight. We're in monitoring the threat overnight and all morning! Stay with CBS6, we'll keep you ahead of the storm.

Tropical Storm Nicole

Since my last update, Tropical Depression #16 was upgraded to Tropical Storm Nicole at 11AM Wednesday with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. Nicole is tracking over western Cuba and will clip southern Florida today. Nicole will lose its tropical characteristics as it approaches North Carolina tomorrow, meaning that we will receive Nicole's remnants in Virginia through Thursday night. The system is still expected to merge with a frontal boundary along the Southeast and lift rapidly northeast early Friday. The Flash Flood Watch remains in effect for nearly the entire Commonwealth, with 2"-4" of rainfall expected by late Thursday as a result of the moisture plume feeding into Virginia from the Atlantic. Isolated higher totals are possible if any embedded thunderstorms occur, especially along and east of I-95.