PETERSBURG, Va. — Water levels at Lieutenant Run Creek in Petersburg rose more than 10 feet in about two hours as heavy rains moved in Monday night, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Data collected by the Lieutenant Run Creek at Bollingbrook Petersburg water gauge showed the creek at 5.29 feet at 9:45 p.m. Monday, cresting at 15.98 feet by midnight Tuesday, which is nearly four feet above major flood stage.
After the water subsided, a white sedan that was submerged was pushed perpendicular to Bollingbrook Street.
A red sedan was also seen upside down, with its front half inside the creek a few feet away.
The vehicle, trapped between muddy water and debris, eventually disappeared into the water.
This creek is the location of one of 161 water level gauges across Virginia. They’re monitored by Steven Pyle with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, who heads the state’s new Flood Intelligence Unit.
“Conditions can change rapidly and in a short time frame, which is why it’s really important to monitor the gauge data as well as have multiple ways of receiving warnings that are issued by the National Weather Service,” Pyle explained.
Watch: Flooding from above Petersburg, Virginia
Employees at a nearby storage facility on Bollingbrook Street said there were two feet of water standing in their basement.
Nearly a dozen intersections and roads across Petersburg were closed due to high water, according to a post on the Petersburg Fire Rescue and Emergency Services Facebook page.
“Your Petersburg firefighters, Southside EMS crews, public works, police, and our dedicated 911 dispatchers were running all night long… pulling people from flooded cars, responding to medical emergencies, clearing downed trees, and still answering every call for help,” the post read.
Officials urged residents to stay out of the water and off the roadways unless absolutely necessary.
Neighbors wake up to widespread flooding
Tatiana Jennings woke up to a lake in her front yard, backyard, and inside her home on Pinehurst Drive that borders Blackwater Swamp.
“Last night when we went to sleep, you could see the entire dead end, and now you can swim in it,” Jennings explained. “I had to call out of work this morning. I can't get out obviously.”
The single mother of four said trash blocking a nearby drain combined with the heavy rains caused the mess at the dead end of her street.
“I called somebody this morning, and everybody's afraid to go into the water because they think they might get electrocuted,” she said.
Jennings, who has lived in her home for four years, said she’s never seen the floodwaters this bad. A neighbor who also borders the swamp told CBS 6 that this is the worst flooding he's witnessed since he moved in eight years ago.
“When I bought this house and we looked on the FEMA website, it actually said it wasn’t in a flood zone. But the mortgage company that I went with said that I had to get flood insurance from their guidelines, which is fine. So I have flood insurance, thankfully,” Jennings said.
The waters began to recede Tuesday morning, but the news of more rain worries this neighborhood.
“It's supposed to rain all the way until next Wednesday. I'm really afraid of what it's going to do to the damage, not only to my car but to my house,” Jennings said.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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