RICHMOND, Va. -- There is no calm before the storm in Central Virginia for emergency officials as they prepared for the effects of Tropical Storm Debby.
In Henrico County, crews spent Wednesday working to clear out debris alongside Eanes Lane to divert the expected heavy rainfalls into Stony Run below.
"We're preparing for all of our hazards that we would expect with a hurricane, such as tornadoes, lightning strikes, but the rain and the flooding does seem to be the predominant hazard," Henrico County Chief of Emergency Management Rob Rowley said.
Rowley said similar work was taking place around the county at known hotspots, but added because of the amount of rain expected, flooding could happen anywhere and cautioned drivers to not drive through standing water.
"These storms are not uniform rainstorms. You may have rain that's unusually heavy in certain areas right next to an area where the rain is not that heavy," he said. "With water on the road, you can't tell how deep it is, and you can't always be sure of the integrity of the road beneath the flooded area."
Preparations were also underway at the state level as Governor Glenn Youngkin (R - Virginia) declared a state of emergency on Tuesday.
"We need to make sure the whole state is being prepared, because it could go different directions," Youngkin said about the state of emergency which releases additional resources for storm response. "Funding resources, but also the Virginia National Guard resources, the resources that come with our swift water rescue crews around the state. Resources with trucks, with helicopters, with [Virginia Department of Transportation] personnel."
Katie Carter, with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, said starting Thursday, a unified response team, including state, private, and nonprofit groups, will staff the emergency response center until the storm passes.
She said crews have begun being deployed into expected hot spots as they have a better idea of the storm's path.
"Really anything west of 95 but we're looking at Central and South Central Virginia, particularly Danville and areas a little bit farther to the southwest and the that region to be the heaviest hit," Carter said.
Officials said as they prepare for Debby, they encourage residents to do the same and stay informed.
"Take just a few seconds and talk to your family about what you are going to do in the event of an emergency, when adults may be at work, children may be at other locations, just discussing how you're going to communicate," Rowley said. He added that people can go to Ready.gov for tips on how to prepare.
"What we're really urging people to do is know the current conditions and don't go on the road if you don't have to. Make sure you heed local warnings stay to your local media and official sources like the Virginia Department of Emergency Management," added Carter.
How Other State Agencies are Preparing
Virginia National Guard
A spokesperson for the Virginia National Guard (VNG) said around 130 personnel were alerted to possible deployment related to Tropical Storm Debby and would be expected to be mission-ready on Thursday morning.
They added they planned to stage people and vehicles in Fort Barfoot, Lynchburg, and Danville and would be prepared "to provide high mobility transportation and debris reduction assistance."
"Additional personnel have been alerted in the Richmond area to be prepared to provide rotary wing rescue hoist, reconnaissance and aerial transport capabilities," the spokesperson added. "Typical missions for the VNG during hurricane or tropical storm response operations are transporting first responders or distributing food and water to citizens in remote areas using tactical trucks capable of moving through high water as well as providing chain saw teams to help reduce debris to clear roads or power line routes.
Virginia Department of Transportation
A spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Richmond District said their preparations include "conducting drainage checks and clearing debris across the district's state-maintained roads. Crews are also on standby to respond to any downed trees or inoperable signals caused by the storm."
"We ask that motorists pay close attention to local weather reports and limit travel based on conditions. For the latest road conditions, call 511, visit www.511.Virginia.org or check the 511 Virginia mobile app. To report any concerns such as flooding, downed trees or road hazards to VDOT's 24-hour Customer Service Center visit my.vdot.virginia.gov or call 800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623)," they added.
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