Overnight flooding closes roads in Madison, Culpeper

Twelve secondary roads in Madison County and four secondary routes in Culpeper County are closed this morning due to flooding. Overnight storms dropped a reported eight-plus inches in Culpeper County, raising small streams over their banks and closing roads.

Motorists should drive with extreme caution this morning and through the day as heavy rains are forecast to continue all day. Small streams can rise quickly and without warning due to heavy rain upstream. Two feet of water is enough to float most vehicles, including trucks and SUVs, and when a road is submerged a driver may not be able to tell whether the road is damaged or washed out.

For the latest information about road closures, check 511Virginia.org. A current list of road closures is at Road Conditions Table (511virginia.org).

As the water recedes, Virginia Department of Transportation crews will check the roads for damage before reopening them to traffic. Motorists should not drive around barricades, even if the water is down and the road appears passable since there may be damage that is not immediately apparent.

In addition to current traffic conditions and other real-time travel information on the 511 Virginia website, that information is also available on the free VDOT 511 mobile app or by calling 511 from any phone in Virginia. VDOT updates are also on Facebook and the district’s Twitter account, @VaDOTCulp.