Hampton Roads is still facing flood risks and other severe weather as remnants from Tropical Storm Debby make way north of the region.
The National Weather Service in Wakefield currently has Virginia Beach and northeast North Carolina under a coastal flooding advisory until this evening. The weather service reported shallow flooding is expected in “the most vulnerable locations” near the waterfront and shoreline. This means up to 1 foot of water is expected above ground level in low-lying areas. Some roads and low-lying property including parking lots, parks and lawns near the waterfront may experience shallow flooding.
The rest of the region is under a coastal flood warning. Water will be 1 to 2 feet above ground level in some areas, resulting in “a sufficient depth.” This may close multiple roads and threaten homes and businesses in flood-prone areas, and there is a significant risk of vehicles flooding. Flooding will extend inland from the waterfront along tidal rivers and bays, according to the weather service.
Overnight Thursday, Cherise Newsome, spokesperson for Dominion Energy, 13,100 people were without power in Hampton Roads, though a significant amount has been restored over the course of the morning. At 8 a.m., nearly 300 people in Virginia Beach and more than 1,900 others in Hampton were without power Friday. According to Dominion Energy’s outage map, 2,194 people in York County were without power, as well.
Power had mostly been restored by 10 a.m. Dominion’s outage map reported just one customer without power in Virginia Beach, and all power was restored to the Peninsula.
Newsome said crews were out assessing damage and restoring power. However, as storms linger in the area, more outages could happen over the course of the day. River flooding and saturation ground could also have impacts, but Newsome said Dominion Energy will continue to monitor the weather through the weekend.
Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com
