Heavy rain douses state, threatens coast

Heavy rains today flooded roads and threatened the Virginia coast and other low-lying areas as officials braced for more problems at high tide this afternoon.

Authorities said conditions in southeastern Virginia could combine with the high tides to create the worst flooding in the region since Isabel in 2003. A coastal flood warning there remains in effect until 6 p.m. tomorrow.

Dominion Virginia Power reported about 22,000 people without power statewide, including about 8,800 in the Richmond area, approximately 10,000 in the southeastern portion of the state and another 1,100 on the Northern Neck.

The National Weather Service reported rain totals from Tuesday night to this morning. They included 5.03 inches in Portsmouth; 3.54 inches in Sussex County; 2.56 inches in Petersburg; 3.5 inches at Winterpock in Chesterfield County; 3.36 inches at the Hanover County airport; and 2.26 inches at Richmond International Airport. Some of the totals are unofficial.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine last night declared a state of emergency, saying the flooding and storm surge could be comparable to the effects of a Category I hurricane.

“While we will continue to monitor conditions, the commonwealth is preparing for a period of coastal flooding through at least Friday evening,” Kaine said.

Authorities also reported roads closed in the Roanoke and New River valleys, as well as in the Lynchburg area.

Schools are closed in Franklin County, where flooding blocked three of four lanes of U.S. 220, a major north-south artery.

The weather service warned that the Roanoke River is expected to flood in Roanoke later in the day. The river is expected to crest at 15 feet. Flood stage is 12 feet.

On the coast, Virginia Beach Fire Battalion Chief Tim Riley told the Associated Press that officials are worried about inland waterways including the Lynnhaven River, where winds are driving water up the tidal estuary that is lined by housing. So far, there have been numerous downed power lines and tree limbs, along with scattered flooding.

Norfolk spokesman Bob Batcher says officials in the coastal city are seeing flooded streets and widespread stalled cars. Batcher says that the low-lying Ocean View neighborhood — a spit of land just north of the nation’s largest Navy base — and the downtown area are the usual trouble spots. High winds are exacerbating the tide, which is about 6 feet to 7 feet above normal.

Norfolk officials have offered free parking in garages downtown for people whose neighborhoods are flooded.

Across the region, Norfolk’s Midtown Tunnel was closed by the Virginia Department of Transportation and to the west, the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry ceased operations. Old Dominion University in Norfolk canceled classes and many school systems closed.

In the Richmond area, no major flooding was reported today, and police said there were no fatalities with any traffic accidents associated with rain-slickened roads.

The rain hasn’t caused any flooding in Richmond’s traditional high-water hot spots in Shockoe Bottom and Battery Park, where the city has almost completed major improvements to the storm drainage system since flooding in 2004 and 2006, respectively.

Public Utilities Director Christopher A. Beschler said today that some city streets have flooded because of fallen leaves clogging the storm sewers. However, Beschler said the intensity of the rain isn’t great enough to overwhelm the drainage system and cause significant flooding.

“The intensity is what we worry about, not the total rainfall,“ he said.

Police departments across the region reported numerous downed trees as the weather service called for wind gusts to continue to approach 40 mph throughout the day.

A flood watch for the Richmond region remains in effect today, with the weather service calling for total rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches through 6 p.m.

Locally higher amounts are possible, and the weather service said the rainfall may cause flooding of creeks and small streams throughout the day.

Minor river flooding is expected this weekend.

The weather service said the water level at the James River’s Westham Gauge in Richmond, measured at 5.46 feet this morning, is expected to crest at 13.9 feet at 1 a.m. Saturday. Flood stage at Westham is 12 feet.

The weather service is calling for the rain to begin to back off slowly tonight and the wind gusts to drop back to less than 30 mph tomorrow.