Current status: Campbell County is maintaining situational awareness and has been monitoring Hurricane Florence closely over the past week. With its latest trajectory we are cautiously optimistic, however, we advise against complacency as this storm tracks through its final phases.
Message from Governor Northam: “Stay vigilant. As we’ve seen, the track of Florence has changed over this week, and it can change again. The Virginia Emergency Operations Center will remain on 24/7 operations until the threat of the storm passes.”
Rainfalls: Right now, reports from the weather service are showing 2–7 inches of rain possible, with 2-4 inches being more likely for our area, through next Thursday. The rain will remain fairly consistent between Friday evening and Tuesday morning. Again, we are still advising preparedness measures until this system passes completely through our area and we’re monitoring low-lying areas and areas that flooded recently. We’re not anticipating significant impacts, but as this storm has proven to be erratic in its track, we’re positioned for both best and worst case scenarios. We have been in continual contact with state officials, volunteer fire and EMS teams, power service providers, VDOT, CCUSA, State Police, Red Cross, home owners’ associations and other agencies to have resources ready, just in case.
Wind and Power Outages: We could see some sustained winds around 15-22 mph with wind gusts up to 25 mph continuing into the weekend. With saturated soil these could cause downed trees/powerlines and power outages. Keep alert for limbs or downed lines on roadways. Again, please call your service provider directly if you experience a power or internet outage. Only call 911 if you are experiencing an emergency.
Please be aware that approximately 400 residences in the Altavista area were reported without power today. These outages are not storm related. An AEP transmission line fell on a Dominion Power distribution line causing the issue. Power company crews are working to restore electricity to these customers.
If any traffic signals are affected by power outages, remember to navigate them the same as you would at a 4-way stop. Additional instructions and service provider contact information for power outages can be found at http://www.campbellcountyva.gov/248/Power-Outages
Any natural storm debris (downed limbs, trees, etc.) should be taken to the Region 2000 landfill site, located at 449 Livestock Road, Rustburg, VA. Please use caution if removing any yard debris generated by the storm.
Visit http://www.campbellcountyva.gov/230/Debris-Disposal for tips on how and where to dispose of these materials safely.
CodeRED: To keep apprised of any weather-related warning or notification for your area, please sign up for CodeRED alerts by visiting www.campbellcountyva.gov – click on the CodeRED icon on the Campbell County homepage.
Impact on Services: At this time, all County services/departments remain operational with no anticipated closures.
Shelters: No shelters have been opened in Campbell County.
Other helpful links:
Storm Tracking – NOAA Hurricane Center - https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
Virginia Department of Emergency Management - http://www.vaemergency.gov/
VDOT Road Closings - http://www.511virginia.org – click on text views and select a locality from the dropdown menu.