Weather
Sandbags Offered In Burke Ahead Of Hurricane Florence
The latest forecast shows the hurricane tracking away from NoVA, but Fairfax County officials urge residents to prepare for flooding.
BURKE, VA—Fairfax County will provide sandbags for Burke area residents ahead of Hurricane Florence arriving on the East Coast. The Department of Public Works and Environmental Services will hand out 10,000 sandbags at four locations, including Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke.
Other locations include the Mount Vernon RECenter, 2017 Belle View Blvd., Alexandria; Reston Regional Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston; and McLean Governmental Center, 1437 Balls Hill Road, McLean.
County staff will be there until 7 p.m. Wednesday, and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Thursday (or until the bags are gone).
Find out what's happening in Burkefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The county also recommends checking hardware stores for sandbags or filling plastic grocery store bags will sand or soil.
The hurricane is expected to make landfall Friday. The latest forecast shows the storm tracking farther south away from the DC region and toward the Carolinas and Georgia. Even so, Fairfax County officials warn that rain and flooding is still expected, as the hurricane could impact areas hundreds of miles from the center. Recent rainfall has saturated the grounds and poses a risk of rapidly rising water and power outages.
Find out what's happening in Burkefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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Residents are urged to follow these tips to prepare for flooding:
- Make sure your gutters and downspouts are clear of debris and that water flows away from your home.
- If you live in an area prone to flooding or have had flooding in the past, move valuables from the basement; at least move items off the floor onto higher shelves if possible.
- Residential sewer backups normally enter the home through the closest discharge point at the lowest elevation. These points are likely to include sinks, shower drains, floor drains, and toilets located on the basement levels of homes. If a sanitary sewer backup does occur, residents are encouraged to call the Trouble Response Center (703-323-1221 or 703-239-8444) for additional assistance.
- If roads flood in the coming days, please turn around, don't drown. Also, do not move barricades to drive through flooded roads. Find an alternate route.
To stay updated on road closures during flooded, bookmark Fairfax County Police's blog. You can see live road conditions on the Virginia Department of Transportation's 511 map.
Here are other emergency numbers to know:
Life threatening situations: Call 911
Fairfax County Police non-emergency number: 703-691-2131
Report downed trees on roads: VDOT maintains Fairfax County roads. Call VDOT at 1-800-367-7623, TTY 711 or visit my.vdot.virginia.gov. (Removing downed trees is the property owner's responsibility.)
Power outages and downed power lines: Call Dominion Energy at 1-866-366-4357 or visit dom.com/outage-center.
MORE HURRICANE COVERAGE:
- Hurricane Florence Update: Storm Veers Away From VA
- Hurricane Florence: Fairfax County Urges Residents To Prepare
- Hurricane Florence: Travel Alerts Issued For VA Airports
- Hurricane Florence: Emergency Kit, Insurance Info To Know In VA
- Hurricane Florence: How VA Pet Owners Can Protect Furry Friends
- Keep Your Baby Safe During Hurricane Flo: Here's How
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