Virginia Beach residents load up sand bags in preparation for the storm
In case tropical storm Isaias picks up steam and soaks Virginia Beach, residents are preparing with free sand from the city. Virginia Beach Public Works unloaded five mounds of loose sand — 100 tons in all — next to the Virginia Beach Sportsplex at 2044 Landstown Centre Way today.
Shovels are provided. Bring your own bags.
Officials said flooding from wind driven tides is likely, especially in the Back Bay area.
“My backyard has a tendency to be wet at all times,” said Henry Perkins of Landstown, who scooped the sand into half a dozen sturdy empty bags he had bought for a $1 a piece at a nearby landscaping business.
Perkins loaded up sand last year, too, when the threat of a hurricane was approaching.
There’s a running joke at his house: “If there’s going to be a lot of rain, and I don’t get sand, it will flood,” he said.
Perkins plans to fortify the outside walls of his sunroom with the sand bags in case the storm water in his yard starts to seep in.
A steady stream of residents came through the line Monday morning.
Khari and Laverne Mills of Salem arrived before 8 a.m. to load up bags.
The Mills have some water behind their house that rises when it rains a lot.
“We just want to make sure, just in case it overflows,” said Laverne. “Just to be on the safe side.”
They filled several plastic grocery bags and loaded them into the back of their car.
The sand being given away was leftover from the winter since it didn’t snow much and wasn’t needed for the roads, according to Public Works spokesman Drew Lankford.
Due to COVID-19, masks and social distancing are required. The sand will be available until the end of the day, and possibly Tuesday depending on the weather.
Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com
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