Published Monday, September 21, 2026 — this is a live snapshot of an active National Weather Service warning. Conditions change fast; always verify with the National Weather Service for your specific county or ZIP code.
The National Weather Service in Morristown, Tennessee issued a Flash Flood Warning at 7:37 PM EDT on September 21, 2026, for southeastern Washington County in southwestern Virginia, including the town of Damascus. The warning runs until 10:30 PM EDT. Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area, and flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. For restoration teams, a flash flood warning over a defined mountain-valley town like Damascus is the classic small-footprint, high-urgency call profile — fewer calls, but each one severe.
Southeastern Washington County, Virginia — Flash Flood Warning
Issuing office: National Weather Service Morristown, TN
Issued: 7:37 PM EDT, September 21, 2026
Expires: 10:30 PM EDT, September 21, 2026
Hazard detail (per NWS, verbatim): HAZARD… Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. SOURCE… Radar indicated. At 7:37 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.
Warned area: Southeastern Washington County in southwestern Virginia.
Locations that will experience flash flooding include: Damascus.
Expected impacts: Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses, as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas.
Damascus sits along the upper Tennessee River headwaters near the Virginia–Tennessee state line, and the small creeks feeding the town can rise fast on heavy rain over steep terrain. Track the alert directly from the issuing office: NWS Morristown, TN.
Stay safe tonight
Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Be especially cautious at night, when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding — and mountain roads near Damascus offer very few escape routes once water is over the pavement.
If water enters your home: stay out of standing water where electricity may be present. Avoid the basement until water recedes and power is confirmed off. Photograph everything before cleanup — documentation matters for insurance. Then call a local restoration contractor; water left sitting starts a second wave of damage within a day.
What this means for restoration teams
This is a single-town warning — Damascus and its immediate surroundings — which means the call volume will be small but the severity high. Mountain-valley flash floods move fast and hit hard: expect basement flooding, foundation seepage under hydrostatic pressure, washed-out crawlspaces, and saturated drywall on ground floors. In steep terrain, runoff carries mud and debris, so interiors may need full contamination-crew protocols, not just drying.
The play: stage equipment for a short, sharp response. One crew on standby through the evening is enough for a warning this tight — but keep them loaded: extractors, air movers, dehumidifiers, and antimicrobial for mud-carrying intrusions. On the first call, capture the address, the water source (creek overflow, hillside runoff, road drainage), and every affected area. Mountain-road flooding can also cut access — plan your route to Damascus before rolling.
Field discipline: photo-document before mitigation starts. Moisture-map every affected room, including upper floors where wind-driven rain may have entered alongside the flooding. Keep the homeowner’s payment responsibility clear in writing before work starts — small-town storm calls often arrive from people who have never hired a restoration company.
FEMA & federal assistance
If the flooding causes serious damage: FEMA Helpline 1-800-621-3362 (7 a.m.–10 p.m. local time, 7 days a week), or apply at DisasterAssistance.gov and through the FEMA app. Find local recovery centers at fema.gov/drc. Basic eligibility: citizenship or qualified status, identity verification, proof of occupancy or ownership, and unmet needs not covered by insurance. Apply as soon as it is safe to do so.
Looking ahead
The warning expires at 10:30 PM EDT, but mountain streams often peak after the rain ends — watch for flood statements from the Morristown office if creeks around Damascus stay high. Saturated hillsides also raise the landslide and debris-flow risk on the roads in and out of town overnight.
For contractors, the demand window is short and immediate: water-intrusion calls typically start within hours of water receding and keep coming for days as people discover damage. In a town this size, expect the full call volume inside 24 hours — be ready to say yes or no quickly, because the second wave of discovery calls will find whoever answered the first.
Sources & how to verify
- NWS Morristown, TN — issuing office; alert id tracked via api.weather.gov
- weather.gov — enter your county or ZIP code to verify current warnings for your area
This post is for informational purposes and is not an official weather warning. Always follow instructions from local authorities and the National Weather Service.
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