Hurricane Florence In Herndon: Flooding, Outages Possible

HERNDON, VA -- Hurricane Florence may miss us entirely, but we're not out of the woods yet. Fairfax County authorities are preparing for the worst as Hurricane Florence barrels toward the East Coast. The storm is expected to make landfall as a major hurricane, and this wide-reaching storm could have impacts on our region.

The storm likely will hit the Carolinas or Southeastern Virginia late Thursday night and into early Friday morning. Experts are warning that while strong winds will cause problems on the coast, it is the heavy rains that could top 10 or even 15 inches in some areas that pose the real threat to people in inland areas.

"The latest models and forecasts show Hurricane Florence tracking farther south of Fairfax County, potentially decreasing its impact locally," the Fairfax County website states. "Rain is still expected and flooding conditions may occur in the coming days, so we’re not out of preparedness mode yet for this storm. Hurricane forecasts and tracks can change, so please remain vigilant and prepared."

SEE ALSO: Hurricane Update: Florence Shifts Toward PG County

(For more news and information like this, subscribe to the Bowie Patch for free, or find your local Maryland Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook!)

Here is some additional information from the Fairfax County website:

Sandbag Update

Our Department of Public Works and Environmental Services has secured 10,000 sandbags, available at four locations:

• Mount Vernon RECenter, 2017 Belle View Blvd., Alexandria
• Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke
• Reston Regional Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston
• McLean Governmental Center, 1437 Balls Hill Road, McLean

County staff will be on site to help residents fill the bags today
until 7 p.m., and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday (or until the bags
are gone).

Flooding Preparedness

• Make sure your gutters and downspouts are clear of debris and that water flows away from your home.
• If you live in an area prone to flooding or have had flooding in the past, move valuables from the basement; at least move items off the floor onto higher shelves if possible.
• Residential sewer backups normally enter the home through the closest discharge point at the lowest elevation. These points are likely to include sinks, shower drains, floor drains, and toilets located on the basement levels of homes. If a sanitary sewer backup does occur, residents are encouraged to call the Trouble Response Center (703-323-1221 or 703-239-8444) for additional assistance.
• If roads flood in the coming days, please turn around, don’t drown. Also, do not move barricades to drive through flooded roads. Find an alternate route.

ATLANTIC OCEAN - SEPTEMBER 10: In this NASA handout image taken by Astronaut Ricky Arnold, Hurricane Florence gains strength in the Atlantic Ocean as it moves west, seen from the International Space Station on September 10, 2018. Weather predictions say the storm will likely hit the U.S. East Coast as early as Thursday, September 13 bringing massive winds and rain. (Photo by NASA via Getty Images)