MEDIA RELEASE September 13, 2018 The City continues to prepare for and monitor the track and potential impacts of Hurricane Florence. Current guidance from the National Weather Service, the National Hurricane Center, and the Mid- Atlantic River Forecast Center indicates that Hurricane Florence is expected to take a northerly turn late Saturday or early Sunday and track up the Appalachian s towards Pennsylvania. Friday through Sunday we may experience rain showers, some possibly heavy, that could cause flash flooding of small streams, creeks, and roadways. This could also cause rises on the South River. Currently there is no forecast for river flooding through Sunday. Additional impacts from a northerly track of the storm would likely be seen Sunday night into Monday and Tuesday. Heavy rainfall of 4-6 inches with some locally higher amounts are possible. Should this scenario occur in the South River watershed, additional rises on the South River would be expected. Those rises could reach or exceed flood stage. We will be receiving additional guidance from the National Weather Service throughout the weekend and will plan accordingly. Currently all City Public Safety and Public Works staff are on increased alert and are prepared to respond as necessary. Over one-hundred forty tons of sand and eight thousand sandbags have been dispensed. A decision will be made based upon future forecasts, if there is a need to make more available. Citizens and business owners with interests in flood prone areas are asked to take preparatory actions now and to closely monitor the situation and be prepared to evacuate if instructed to do so. The emergency shelter at Kate Collins Middle School on Ivy Street is on standby and will be opened if the situation warrants. The shelter will only accept service animals. A domestic pet shelter is available at the old Riverheads Elementary School in Greenville. Items to take with you to a shelter include medications, blanket and pillow, change of clothing, personal hygiene items, cell phone and charger, snacks, and items to keep you busy like books or magazines. Transportation can be made available if needed.
Notices of the need to evacuate and open shelters would be made available through the City s emergency notification system, local media outlets, and the City s web and Facebook pages. If you have not yet registered your cell phone and email with our emergency notification system you can do so at the following link. https://www.waynesboro.va.us/208/reverse-911 If you haven t prepared your home emergency kit the following link provides instructions on how to do so and what should be included. http://www.vaemergency.gov/emergency-kit/ The next scheduled update will be Friday 09/15/2018 at 4 PM unless an earlier update is warranted. END
September 12, 2018 Hurricane Florence Updates: Based on the current weather forecast, the sand and sandbags at the two distribution points will not be restocked once they have been depleted. We have currently provided 140 tons of sand and 8,000 sand bags. Citizens should also be reminded that if you intend to utilize any of the temporary animal shelters, you will need to bring all of your pet s current medications and provide a current shot record.
September 12, 2018 Hurricane Florence Update: Updated forecasts from the National Hurricane Center as of 8 AM this morning indicate that Hurricane Florence is now projected to take a southerly turn after landfall near the North and South Carolina boarder taking the heaviest rain and winds into central and western North and South Carolina. While this path is subject to change quickly once the storm passes over land, the current projection would greatly lessen the impact to Waynesboro. A potential for 4-6 inches of rainfall is currently forecast with higher amounts possible along the mountains. Runoff and upsloping effects from the mountains can increase rainfall and drainage into the South River watershed. We are also taking into consideration the amount of rain that has already fallen over the last week and what is forecast over the next 24-36 hours in advance of Florence. The ground is saturated and any rain that falls will impact the river. Therefore, we cannot let our guard down and preparedness activities will continue. Sand and sandbags continue to be available for residents and business owners at the Municipal Parking lot at Arch Ave and Main Street, downtown, and in the cul-de-sac on Brookside Cove in the Club Court and River Shores neighborhood. Residents and business owners with properties in flood prone areas are asked to remain alert and be prepared to move if an evacuation is ordered. The emergency shelter at Kate Collins Middle School is on standby but will not be opened at this time. Should the need for a shelter be determined it will be announced through media sources, the city webpage, and through the City s emergency notification system. If you have not registered your cell phone and email with our emergency notification system you may do so by going to the Emergency Management page of the City Website at the following link https://www.waynesboro.va.us/208/reverse-911. Also, residents or businesses with drainage culverts, storm water drain inlets, and street curbing are asked to make sure they are clear of debris and yard waste to allow for maximum efficiency of the storm water system during the storm. End
September 11, 2018 The City is preparing for possible major flooding as a result of the remnants of Hurricane Florence passing over our area later this week. Heavy and prolonged rainfall is possible with amounts possibly exceeding 10-15 inches. Rainfall of this magnitude over the headwaters and basin of the South River would likely produce significant and potentially catastrophic flooding. Residents and businesses with interests in flood prone areas need to pay close attention to this storm and be prepared to respond. A decision on any evacuation will be made during the day on Thursday and will be announced via the City of Waynesboro web page, local media, and the City s emergency Notification System. If you have not registered your cell phone and email you may do so on the Emergency Management site of the City of Waynesboro web page. https://www.waynesboro.va.us/205/emergency-management Sand and sand bags will be available at the municipal parking lot located at the corner of Arch Avenue and Main Street and in the cul-de-sac on Brookside Cove in the Club Court neighborhood. Fishburne Military School cadets and the local Boy Scouts will be helping with filling bags on Wednesday. An Emergency Shelter is planned to open Thursday night at Kate Collins Middle School located at 1725 Ivy Street in Waynesboro. The shelter can only accommodate service animals. Domestic pets would need to be sheltered with a local veterinarian, boarding facility or the regional animal disaster shelter at the Riverheads Elementary School located at 17 Howardsville Road Staunton, VA (actually in Greenville) Please monitor the weather closely. Updated information will be provided on the City of Waynesboro web page as it becomes available. https://www.waynesboro.va.us/ Preparedness information can also be found on the Virginia Department of Emergency Management s web page at http://www.vaemergency.gov/prepare-recover/ END