By Nathan Ham
Heavy rain and strong winds hit the High Country hard overnight with many side roads becoming impassible due to standing water and some roads are still treacherous after culverts and shoulders collapsed from the rainfall.
The National Weather Service in Blacksburg reported on its Facebook page that the highest rainfall total reported in its radar area was in Blowing Rock where 7.38 inches of rain fell according to a weather spotter. The NWS reported a total of 2.83 inches of rain in Boone.
According to rain data from Ray’s Weather Center, most of the area received between 2.5-3.5 inches and some spots had over 5 inches of rain along the Blue Ridge.
In Ashe County, numerous reports of four to five inches of rain fell in Fleetwood, Todd, West Jefferson and Crumpler.
Travel issues overnight forced temporary closures of Deerfield Road and Bamboo Road. Major standing water issues impacted travel along Blowing Rock Road as well.
Frank Dillard Road in Jefferson remains closed after a culvert collapsed and a truck was stuck in the hole created by the collapse. Numerous low-water bridges are underwater in several locations throughout Ashe County. Railroad Grade Road in Todd also suffered some serious structural damage with large cracks forming in the middle of the roadway.
Looking ahead at the weather for the rest of the week, this storm front moves out today only to be replaced by another low-pressure front moving through on Tuesday bringing rain and even some snowflakes late Tuesday night as temperatures drop to near freezing. Clear weather returns to the area on Wednesday and Thursday with high temperatures ranging from the upper 40s to mid-50s. Friday will be nice in the morning before some rain showers move in Friday evening.
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