Storm brings up to 6 inches of rain in some areas of Richmond

An early-morning thunderstorm dumped up to 6 inches of rain in some parts of the Richmond region but caused little damage, authorities said.

The heaviest rain the Richmond area has seen this summer left more than 6,000 Dominion Virginia Power customers without electricity in the region at one point, but power to most residents had been restored by afternoon.

Brian Hurley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Wakefield, said Richmond is officially about 5 inches below the normal 29 inches of rain for this time of the year. But he noted that the 24-inch reading is based solely on rain-gauge recordings at Richmond International Airport and that many other parts of the Richmond area have received significantly more.

For example, parts of Goochland, Hanover and King William counties have been getting hit in the past week by thunderstorms that have bypassed areas of Richmond and Chesterfield County. Hurley said that in King William alone, radar estimates indicate the Mangohick area has received more than 10 inches of rain since last Thursday.

"So it really depends on where you are," Hurley said. "But overall, I think the entire region is doing pretty well."

In Richmond, authorities reported some street flooding at the usual spots, including several cars that were stranded in high water along Midlothian Turnpike. In addition, several manhole covers were dislodged by rushing water, and a street sweeper was called to the East End to brush away several inches of mud near the intersection of Williamsburg Road and East Main Street.

Authorities in Chesterfield and Henrico counties reported minimal damage beyond a few downed trees, and Hanover County officials said their biggest problem was some high water at Lee Davis and Pole Green roads.

Radar estimates show many parts of the Richmond area got 3 to 5 inches of rain, with some isolatedareas getting up to 6 inches from the 3 a.m. storm, Hurley said.

"It was just a slow-moving boundary," he said. "Anything this time of year tends to be slow-moving."

Contact Joe Macenka at (804) 649-6904 or .