Heavy rain during July and August and a major hurricane in the forecast have contributed to schedule adjustments for several drainage and road repairs in Stafford County. From the press release:
RAIN AFFECTING ROAD REPAIR PROJECTS IN STAFFORD COUNTY
Progress toward completion of several drainage, slope repair and pipe replacement projects has been hampered by more rain over the past weekend and the threat of more storms FREDERICKSBURG, Va. –
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From the University of Mary Washington:
We have been actively monitoring the path of Hurricane Florence. In a conference call this evening, education officials across the state agreed that a storm of this magnitude – which is likely to produce severe flooding, high winds, and widespread power outages – can present a danger to many locations, including our campus community.
As a result, the University of Mary Washington will close all of its campuses at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12. All classes and University events will be canceled, and academic buildings will be locked. Only essential personnel should report to work. More information will be forthcoming, but the University is slated to reopen on schedule Monday morning, Sept. 17.
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From Novant Health/UVA Health System in Manassas and Haymarket:
Novant Health UVA Health System has a thorough emergency operations plan and practices the plan via drills held multiple times each year. We activated our Emergency Operations Plan on Monday, Sept. 10 for planning in preparation for the potential impact from Tropical Storm Florence in the Virginia market.
Critical systems and infrastructures have been assessed and steps taken to ensure have continued operations throughout the impact. Emergency Power generation at the hospitals is in place and has redundancy.
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From Prince William County Pubilc Schools:
We have not made any plans to cancel school at this point. However, we will continually monitor the weather forecast and frequently communicate with the Prince William Office of Emergency Management for updates. We also have an agreement with the Office of Emergency Management to provide schools as emergency shelters, if needed.
As far as preparations, please see below:
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OCCOQUAN -- Town officials in Occoquan are not being caught off guard ahead of Hurricane Florence.
Mayor Earnie Porta tells us sandbags are being filled at the Vulcan Quarry next to the town along the Occoquan River in Prince William County.
Residents need to bring their own bags.
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MANASSAS -- Organizers have canceled this year's Arts Alive festival ahead of Hurricane Florence.
From an email:
The Arts Council event committee and the Hylton Performing Arts Center has decided to cancel Arts Alive due to the pending Hurricane. At this point, we do not have a date to reschedule this event – will keep you posted should this happen.
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MANASSAS -- (From Email) The Prince William County Office of Emergency Management asked us to share the following information and I am asking you to help by sharing it too:
- All residents are asked to review or build an emergency supply kit and communications plan for their family, then sign up for emergency alerts. Instructions are at www.pwcgov.org/ready
- Official county updates will be posted to the Emergency Information Portal at https://emergency.pwcgov.org
- The official forecast for Florence is issued by the National Hurricane Center via www.hurricanes.govand impacts will be felt far outside the forecast cone.
If Volunteer Prince William is asked to activate, we will contact our registered disaster volunteers via email or telephone for specific needs requests. First and foremost, take safety measures now to prepare - keep yourself and your family safe (including pets) - see the web links above.
Volunteer Prince William does not make the decision to activate volunteers. We are instructed to do so only by Emergency Management officials. Volunteers will not be activated until conditions are deemed safe enough to be out and about.
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RICHMOND—(Press Release) Governor Ralph Northam this evening issued a mandatory evacuation order for coastal Virginia residents in Zone A in advance of Hurricane Florence, effective Tuesday, September 11 at 8 a.m.
Zone A includes low-lying areas of Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore. Residents of Zone A are urged to move to higher ground. Information about shelters will be available soon.
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Dam owners in Virginia are advised to consult with a professional engineer about possibly lowering lake levels by up to 6 inches per day ahead of Hurricane Florence. From the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) press release:
Advisory to Virginia Dam Owners ahead of Hurricane FlorenceRICHMOND, Va. — As of Monday Sept. 10, the National Weather Service has forecasted the potential for a major hurricane-level storm event in Virginia within the next week. Rainfall projections are currently forecasted to be from approximately 10 to 20 inches in some areas of the state if the storm were to slow down or “stall.”In preparation for this potential storm event, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Dam Safety Program is offering the following information to dam owners.1. Reach out to your professional engineer and discuss the specifics of your dam and what to do during an emergency situation.2. Locate and review your dam's emergency action plan if one is in place. Ensure that all contacts and contact information are up-to-date. Provide any updates to the local emergency services contact and DCR Dam Safety.3. If your dam has a working low-flow valve, you as the dam owner should consider consulting with your professional engineer about possibly lowering your lake level by up to 6 inches per day (24-hour period). By lowering the normal water level in your lake, you provide extra storage for when rainfall begins. Note that lowering lake levels by more than 6 inches per day is not allowed as rapid drawdown of a lake level could result in critical damage to your dam.4. Visually inspect your dam and remove any debris from the primary and emergency spillways. Contact your professional engineer if any dam-related issues are found (seepage, slope failures, rodent holes, etc.)For information about the Virginia Dam Safety Program, go to https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/dam-safety-and-floodplains.