Less than a month after torrential rains caused major damage to roads and bridges across Central Virginia, another round of severe storms overnight has left numerous secondary roads closed due to high water. The Virginia Department of Transportation advises motorists to drive with extra caution this morning, expect more flooding in areas that received heavy rainfall overnight and more roads may close this morning.
VDOT and other emergency response agencies remind drivers never to drive through water flowing across a roadway. Six inches of moving water is enough to knock a person off their feet; 12 inches will sweep a car off the roadway. Remember: Turn Around, Don’t Drown.
At this hour the rain is flooding secondary roads near mountain streams in the western areas of VDOT’s Culpeper District near the Blue Ridge Mountains. Albemarle, Greene and Madison counties again received the most rain, with four to five inches reported overnight in Madison and Greene. Eight roads are reported closed due to high water in Madison, seven in Greene and two each in Albemarle and Orange counties. Some of the roads are the same that were damaged by the floods last month.
VDOT crews are mobilizing early this morning to check the condition of flooded roadways and bridges in those areas. In some cases a damage assessment may not be possible until the floodwaters recede. VDOT will reopen the closed roads once they have been inspected and found to be safe for travel.
Drivers should check www.511virginia.org or the 511 mobile app for the most current information about road closures and follow @VaDOTCULP on Twitter for updates.
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Chris Graham
