VIRGINIA BEACH — The city continues to monitor Hurricane Florence and adjust its response to the significant shift in the storm path to the south and away from the area.
The forecast continues to change; the revised forecast for the next couple of days calls for 1 to 4 inches of rainfall and sustained winds of 30 to 35 mph (with gusts to 50 mph). There is the potential for power outages and downed trees because of recent heavy rainfalls and saturated ground, according to a news release from the city.
The city uses the Probabilistic Hurricane Storm Surge (P-surge) model from the National Weather Service to demonstrate storm surge and overlays the data on its locally calculated geographic data to determine the areas affected by the surge, city officials said.
The sustained easterly wind will create wind tide effects on the western side of Back Bay, North Landing and the Lynnhaven River. The combination of rain and wind with storm surge can be expected to cause high water on low-lying roads and in neighborhoods that historically experience flooding under similar conditions, such as Lynnhaven Colony and Broad Bay Colony, and roadways including Lynnhaven Drive, Broad Bay Road, Goodspeed Road, Sandbridge Road, North Muddy Creek Road, Pleasant Ridge Road, Charity Neck Road, Gum Bridge Road, Nanneys Creek Road, Mill Landing Road, West Neck Road (West Neck Bridge to Jarvis Road), Indian River Road (Speed Fentress Bridge to Princess Anne Road) and Pungo Ferry Bridge Road (Pungo Ferry Bridge to Blackwater Road).
The city’s Public Works will be posting high water signs. Motorists should avoid these areas altogether but if that is not possible, go slow so as not to create any wakes that push water into homes or businesses. Call 311 for assistance if a car becomes disabled going through the water.
Here are some updates:
- Shelter – Kellam High School, 2665 W. Neck Road, opened as a shelter at 6 p.m. Wednesday and opened for those requiring medical support at 8 a.m. Thursday –in lieu of the Virginia Beach Field House. This shelter is also medically friendly.
o Shelter Transportation – Virginia Beach residents needing transportation to the shelter at Kellam High School should call 311. Transportation will be available between 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., weather permitting while the shelter is operational.
- Pet Shelters– Landstown Elementary School, 2212 Recreation Drive, is open as an emergency pet shelter. Intake times: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Note: it is for pets only; owners will stay at Kellam. Intake hours are revised at the Animal Care and Adoption Center, which is accepting pets for residents who live in Zone A and evacuated out of the area until 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 13 and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 14.
- Trash Collection– Friday’s trash collection will be provided on Monday, Sept. 17.
- Parking
o Municipal Garages – From noon on Wednesday, Sept. 12 through noon on Monday, Sept. 17, Virginia Beach citizens may park for free at the municipal garages at 9th and 31st streets in the resort area. Must exit by noon Monday to avoid charges. Citizens may also park their vehicles at municipal garages at the Town Center of Virginia Beach. No parking is available in the 24-hour reserved spaces at the Town Center garages. These spaces are leased by residents and towing will be enforced.
RELATED STORY: Hurricane Florence update for Hampton Roads: Coastal flood watch and lots of wind
- Public School Parking Lots – public school sites are available for temporary parking during the storm through 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept 16, 2018. List of schools by name, location and evacuation zone is on https://emergency.vbgov.com. This parking is available at own risk; neither VBSchools nor the City are liable for any damages to personal vehicles.
- Drop-in Childcare – Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation will open its free drop-in childcare for the rest of this week as long as schools are closed. The camp is for ages K-5 children currently enrolled in and Out of School Time childcare program. Hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Bow Creek, Great Neck, Kempsville, Princess Anne and Williams Farm Recreation Centers. Seatack Recreation Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For the most up-to-date information, stay tuned to local television and radio stations and the outlets listed below:
- VBTV: Cox Cable 46, 47 & 48 and Verizon Cable 45, 46 & 47will display emergency information, including our city operational status and facility closures.
- Social Media Sites:
o Facebook – www.facebook.com/CityofVaBeach
o Twitter – www.twitter.com/CityofVaBeach
o Instagram – www.instagram.com/cityofvabeach
- Citizen Services:311 is available 24 hours a day for questions and reporting non-emergency conditions. Please only call or text 911 in a life-threatening emergency.
