Team,
The coastal flooding forecasted for this weekend just got real. Please review the NWS Tide Chart. While there’s not much change to tomorrow morning’s 3 am high tide, the afternoon forecasted high tide (at 4 pm) reaches 6’. For context, we develop strategies for gate closures and open garages for 5.5’.
Using TITAN, I’m sharing screenshots for the same areas as yesterday plus a few more using 5.0’ to allow for the conversion from MLLW to NAVD-88 plus taking into account the 3-4” of rain we can see according to the NWS 72-Hour Precipitation Forecast. See screenshots for Berkley, Hampton Blvd, ODU, the Hague area, Tidewater/Brambleton, Willoughby, and East Ocean View.
Per the NWS Hourly Graph, winds should start picking up tomorrow morning and the rain by 2 pm. Both will remain through Saturday with peak gusts upward of 48mph.
Public Works reports all “Street Flooded” signs will be flipped across the city today. Tomorrow Pump station staff will begin closing the downtown flood gates in the morning/early afternoon with vactor trucks deployed throughout the day. On Saturday, the pump station staff, vactor trucks, and additional operations staff and resources will be mustered up at 6 am to continue their response activities.
Nikki Riddick and Ray Stoner: Please submit parking garage(s) to be used for this event. The recommended timeframe is 9 am tomorrow (Friday) through 9 am Sunday. Thank you!
We have a conference call scheduled with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service this afternoon at 3 pm, so more to follow.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns you may have: EOC-Plans@norfolk.gov.
Thanks!
Jim Redick
Director, Emergency Preparedness and Response