Sandbags To Be Distributed As Alexandria Braces For Debby Remnants

ALEXANDRIA, VA — As the City of Alexandria encourages residents to prepare for impacts from Tropical Storm Debby's remnants, sandbags are being distributed.

On Wednesday, the City of Alexandria handed out sandbags at:

• Intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and East Glebe Road from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Intersection of Union Street and Prince Street from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• 133 South Quaker Lane from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The city will again distribute sand bags Thursday at 133 South Quaker Lane from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Sandbags are only available to City of Alexandria residents with proof of residency or business. They will be distributed on a first come, first served basis with a limit of five per address. Additional locations may be added as needed.

The remnants of Tropical Storm Debby are advancing north, bringing showers and thunderstorms that will gradually increase, according to the National Weather Service's Baltimore-Washington office. Moderate to heavy rain will arrive in the area by Thursday night and continue into Friday.

As of Thursday morning, the National Hurricane Center said Debby has slightly strengthened since a larger portion of the storm is located over the water. The tropical storm is expected to become a tropical depression even before it reaches Virginia.

As the storm heads north from the South Carolina coast toward the Mid-Atlantic states, forecasters expect the storm to continue being a slow-moving system. The National Hurricane Center said heavy rain could cause "considerable flooding" from the Carolinas Piedmont region and parts of the Mid-Atlantic states to Vermont through Saturday morning.

The City of Alexandria urges resident to continue monitoring the local weather forecast through weather services or the local media. If the National Weather Service issues a tropical storm or hurricane watch, it means tropical storm or hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours. A warning means conditions are expected within 24 hours.

To prepare for weather emergencies, the city recommends:

• Help by clearing leaves and debris from around gutters and storm drains on their property.
• Make an emergency plan to decide where to meet if you are separated, how to care for your pets, and secure your home.
• Make an emergency communications plan to guide you through organizing important information about the individuals in your household, including phone numbers for utilities, emergency contact information, doctors, and schools to ensure the information is readily available to everyone. ###a>
• Make an emergency kit checklist to gather medications, non-perishable food, pet supplies, clothing, tools and safety items, and other items needed in an emergency. ###a>
• Make an evacuation plan to use in case you are asked to do so by local officials.
• Fuel and service vehicles.
• Make interior and exterior preparations for your property: information about both permanent changes and emergency measures to protect your home from an imminent flood threat are available at the Virginia Department of Emergency Management Hurricane Preparation page and the City’s Flood Map page.
• Read tips on proper sandbag use if using sandbags at your property.
• Check for updates on city services at alexandriava.gov or the city’s social media channels. Sign up for emergency notifications by text or email by subscribing to the city’s free Alexandria eNews service at alexandriava.gov/eNews.