The original item was published from September 20, 2023 3:57 PM to September 20, 2023 4:03 PM
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Just as we saw last weekend, we will see coastal flooding this weekend which will be a bit more concerning.
Please see the NWS Tide Chart where you’ll see the highest tide at this point is 3am Saturday morning peaking at 5.4’. The tide forecast does not extend much further other than to suggest the 3pm hightide will also reach into the minor to moderate flood range. And by the way, ODU football hosts their game which starts at 3:30pm (NSU and the Norfolk Tides are both on the road).
As always, the Tidal Inundation Tracking Application for Norfolk (TITAN) can help paint a picture of how this might look. For the 5.4’ high tide, just use 4.0’ in TITAN to account for the difference in datums being used. See screenshots for Hampton Blvd, ODU, the Hague area, Tidewater/Brambleton, and East Beach.
Remember TITAN does not reflect any additional flooding due to rainfall, which we are also expected to experience. The NWS Hourly Graph shows rain arriving around noon tomorrow (Friday) and remains at least into the evening. The NWS 72-Hour Precipitation Forecast (attached) calls for 2-3” in our area. Suffice it to say, 2-3” over 72-hours is fine, but if it falls rather heavily over a short period of time, it too will contribute to flooding on the roadways, etc.
There will be elevated winds per the Hourly Graph with gusts approaching 45mph during the overnight hours between Friday / Saturday. While we’ll be on the lookout for any downed limbs, like last weekend, the winds should not be too troublesome.
Please feel free to contact us at EOC-Plans@norfolk.gov with any questions or concerns you might have.
We will continue to monitor and keep you posted.
Thanks!
Jim Redick
Director, Emergency Preparedness and Response