Three cities in Virginia are under a state of emergency order ahead of expected flooding from what remains of Hurricane Ian.
Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Chincoteague have declared states of emergency in response to a nor’easter that is forming from Ian’s remnants. Flooding and strong winds from Ian expanded the storm from Florida up north, sweeping the Carolinas and Georgia before hitting Virginia.
Chincoteague is using its Arcadia High School as a shelter, and strongly encouraging the Bunker Hill and the Ocean Breeze communities to evacuate there by no later than 10 a.m. Monday. Hampton Roads is also under a flood warning. The National Weather Service in Wakefield projected Sunday night’s high tide would be about 5 feet above normal, while Monday’s could be anywhere between 6.9 to 7.3 feet.
HURRICANE IAN: DESANTIS DEFENDS LATE EVACUATION IN FLORIDA’S LEE COUNTY
⚠️Significant tidal flooding is anticipated for the Virginia Tidewater & Atlantic coast⚠️
Major flooding is likely for Hampton Roads, VA Atlantic coast, & N. Outer Banks during high tide on Monday. Tide levels of this magnitude in SE VA haven’t been seen in the last 10-15 years. pic.twitter.com/A3gEvYPA6B
— NWS Wakefield (@NWSWakefieldVA) October 2, 2022
The current storms will combine with low pressure in the Virginia area to create winds over the northeastern coastal area, which will result in floods, according to the National Weather Service.
Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Norfolk and York County have opted to close public schools Monday in light of the anticipated historic flooding.
Tens of thousands of Virginia residents were reportedly left without power on Saturday as a result of the storm. Dominion Energy, which services 2.5 million in the state, said it expected to get power back Sunday night.
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The forecast for Sunday and Monday in Virginia includes rain, with meteorologists predicting the flood warning could last through Tuesday.
Ian made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday as a powerful Category 4 hurricane. The death toll in Florida alone is reported to be in the dozens. After sweeping across the state to the Atlantic Ocean, it again made landfall as a weaker Category 1 hurricane in South Carolina.
