5 Things To Know In Alexandria After Wind Storm

ALEXANDRIA, VA—The worst is over from the nor'easter that brought heavy winds and significant damages to Alexandria and the rest of the DC region. But although the high wind watch has been lifted, the National Weather Service expects wind gusts of 40 to 45 mph are expected through early Saturday afternoon. Forecasters say ongoing gusty winds slow down repairs and restorations.

That could be the case in Alexandria, where thousands remain without power along with hundreds of thousands in Northern Virginia.

Here are some things to know as recovery continues from the storm:

1. Intersections without power could take days to restore.

The city says over 50 traffic signals need repairs, which could take a couple days. Police remind drivers to treat dark signals and flashing red signals as four way stops and to use caution at flashing yellow signals.

2. Thousands have no power in Alexandria.

Into Saturday afternoon, 7,124 Dominion Energy customers have no power. It's an improvement from the worst of the storm, where more than 10,000 were without power.

There were no timetables for restoration, but crews have been dispatched to a number of neighborhoods. It may take Dominion crews some time to restore all outages, since continued high winds may prevent the use of bucket trucks. Check the outage map for the latest restoration updates. Report power outages to Dominion Energy at 866.DOM.HELP (866.366.4357) or www.dom.com.

3. Fallen power poles are out of the roadways.

City crews have removed poles from the roadways and are working to remove fallen poles that present safety hazards. Report damaged or inoperable street lights to Dominion Energy and the pole number if possible.

Residents should avoid touching fallen wires. Report wires to Dominion Energy at 866.DOM.HELP.

4. Some facilities are closed.

The facilities closed Saturday include:

• William Ramsay Recreation Center
• Chinquapin Rixse Pool. The rest of the rec center is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. as regularly scheduled.
• Jerome "Buddie" Ford Nature Center
• City Marina Public Piers
• St. Patrick's Day Parade (cancelled)

5. The city will collect certain debris.

It may take this week and next week to collect all debris during collection days. Residents should tree limbs and other larger pieces of yard waste next to trash cans without blocking vehicles or pedestrians. Place smaller pieces in paper bags or containers with City-issued ‘Yard Waste’ stickers so crews can identify it. More information on how to properly prepare yard waste is available at alexandriava.gov/YardWaste.

The storm has also blown off debris like roofing material from houses. Construction materials including asphalt, brick, cement, ceramic, cinder block, concrete, drywall, marble, porcelain and slate cannot be collected. They may be brought to local solid waste disposal facilities such as the Alexandria Waste Recovery Facility (625 Burnside Place). For more information on recycling specific materials, see MWCOG Builder's Recycling Guide for local recycling facilities to use.

Metal items can be collected by special request for a free. See more information about collections for specific items at www.alexandriava.gov/RefuseCollection.

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