Flooding predictions downgraded for Hampton Roads; peak tides still expected Monday afternoon
Hampton Roads will see flooding Monday afternoon into Tuesday, but peak tidal heights this afternoon will be about a foot lower than initially projected thanks to sudden a shift in wind direction.
The initial forecast from the National Weather Service in Wakefield showed high winds and peak “major” flooding between 3 and 7 p.m. Monday afternoon throughout much of the region, putting some coastal areas under as much as 3 feet of water.
But at 1:30 p.m., the weather service updated projections to show the peak tides would result in “moderate” flooding, with the only major flooding happening near Lynnhaven Inlet. The area previously expected to see the most significant flooding, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, dropped from a projected tidal height of 6.9 feet to 5.9 feet.
Winds shifting to the north-northwest across the bay and more northerly over the ocean cause the change in tide heights, according to the National Weather Service.
Ahead of the expected high tides, public schools across the region closed Monday in anticipation for significant flooding and localities declared states of emergency.
The projected tidal height dropped from 7.1 feet to 6.1 feet at the Midtown Tunnel and from 6.7 feet to 5.6 feet at Sewell’s Point. Major flooding is considered anything above 7 feet and 6.5 feet at those points, respectively.
Rainy and windy conditions are expected to continue through Tuesday.
Maximum wind gusts are still expected to reach 50 mph off the coast of the Eastern Shore in Northampton County. Gusts will peak at 49 mph off the coast of Ocean View and Virginia Beach. Gale force winds will continue through Tuesday, and gale warnings will remain in effect for all waters, the weather service said in its Monday morning forecast.
The weather service forecasts an additional 1-3 inches of rain through Wednesday for eastern Virginia and the lower Eastern Shore.
The Virginia Department of Transportation advises that motorists limit travel. Anyone who sees flooding, downed trees or other road hazards is encouraged to report them by visiting my.vdot.virginia.gov or by calling VDOT’s 24-hour customer service line 1-800-FOR-ROAD.
Motorists can get updates on local traffic conditions by calling 511 and dialing 9 to get Hampton Roads information, or by visiting www.511virginia.org.
To be preemptively rerouted away from flood waters, motorists in Norfolk can use the Waze navigation app. The technology allows users to report flooded roadways but has also incorporated real-time modelling of water levels based on rainfall and tidal flooding to project road closures. The app has allowed the city’s emergency staff to have better “situational awareness” and avoid hazards themselves, according to Kyle Spencer, Norfolk’s chief resilience officer.
“We are getting lots of great use out of it,” Spencer said in a text.
Those who do encounter flooded roadways are encouraged to “turn around, don’t drown,” said Holly Christopher, a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Transportation. State safety patrols, white trucks with VDOT logos and amber lights, will be patrolling the region on the lookout for people with disabled vehicles.
“You don’t know how deep that water is, you don’t know what is in that water and you need to make sure that you can get to your destination safely, so find an alternative route,” Christopher said.
Christopher said Hampton Roads “got really lucky” with the weather over the weekend with minimal impact to state-maintained roads and breaks in the downpour that allowed crews to catch up on repairs.
Thousands had lost power over the weekend as high winds downed trees and power lines across the region. As of Monday morning, Dominion Energy’s outage map showed a few scattered outages in Hampton Roads and all of the major outages had been restored.
Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806, gavin.stone@virginimedia.com
