Flooding Continues As Alexandria Prepares For Hurricane Florence

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Flooding in low-lying areas near the Potomac River has been imminent in Alexandria early this week, and the community is preparing for the additional threat of Hurricane Florence in the late week.

Already swelling bodies of water and saturated ground set the stage for additional flooding during Florence. Residents are urged to "turn around, don't drown" when encountering flooded roads. Six inches of fast-moving water can knock over an adult, and one foot can float a small car. 18 to 24 inches of flowing water can carry away most vehicles.

Floodwaters surged into Old Town Sunday night, reportedly leaving King Street under several feet of water near the waterfront. The Alexandria Fire Department tweeted out photos of crews making swiftwater rescues in the flooded areas.

Floodwaters receded and returned Monday and Tuesday mornings. Alexandria remains under a coastal flood warning through 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 12. A coastal flood warning means that flooding is happening or coming.

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City and media reports indicated crews were cleaning up debris from flooding and trimming trees to prepare for the hurricane.

Residents and businesses are urged to prepare for rising water. The city distributed sandbags on Monday, Sept. 10 and will monitor conditions to determine if additional distributions are needed.

Businesses on King Street have begun to lay out sandbags. Meanwhile, The Creamery boarding up windows Monday, reported WJLA.

Residents can take additional precautions to protect their homes from sewer backups and minimize the risk of flooding. More information about properly placing sandbags and home maintenance tips are available at www.alexandriava.gov/Flooding. Officials urge community members to prepare emergency kits ahead of the hurricane.

The hurricane remains a Category 4 storm and could make landfall early Friday morning on the coast of North Carolina. There are implications of heavy rain and flooding hundreds of miles from the storm's center from the Mid-Atlantic to South Carolina.

Image via Alexandria T&ES