Virginia Beach City Manager Declares State of Emergency; Nor’easter Spawned by Ian Remnants Will Produce Coastal Flooding and Windy Conditions

City Manager Patrick Duhaney declared a local state of emergency Sunday evening due to anticipated widespread flooding throughout Virginia Beach.

City Facilities to Close at Noon

The City of Virginia Beach will move to essential operating conditions at noon on Monday. City facilities, offices, libraries, recreation centers, and the Virginia Aquarium will close at noon. Because Virginia Beach City Public Schools will be closed tomorrow, Parks & Recreation after-school programs are canceled as well. The City Landfill & Resource Recovery Center and the West Neck Recycling Center will both be closed all day Monday. Visit the City's emergency website, emergency.vbgov.com, for an up-to-date listing of impacted buildings, programs, and services.

Storm Impacts

The National Weather Service expects what is left of Hurricane Ian to merge with a low-pressure system offshore to form a Nor'easter that is forecasted to generate a significant, multi-day coastal flood event impacting the Atlantic Coast and the southern Chesapeake Bay. Flooding is expected to extend along tidal rivers and creeks making some roads impassable and posing a threat to vehicles and low-lying properties particularly along the Chesapeake Bay area, the North End, the Resort Area, Croatan, Ocean Lakes, Sandbridge, Owl Creek as well as the Lynnhaven River and its tributaries. Areas along Back Bay may also experience flooding. The City expects high water hazards on roadways, especially during Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning commutes.

"Forecasters expect an inundation of up to three feet above ground which would make for some of the worst flooding conditions the area has seen in at least a decade," said Virginia Beach Emergency Management Coordinator Danielle Progen. "With the ground saturation from Ian's rainfall, plus high tides, combined with wind-driven high water in the Chesapeake Bay and Lynnhaven River systems, it looks like there won't be anywhere for the water to drain. We're encouraging everyone to stay off the roads as much as possible Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning."

Parking Garages Open for Free for Virginia Beach Residents through Thursday Morning:

Virginia Beach residents in low-lying areas that are prone to flooding and those who live near tidal waters are encouraged to move their vehicles to higher ground. Emergency off-street parking will be available in Oceanfront and Town Center garages now through Thursday at 8 am. Residents may park their vehicles for FREE at the municipal garages on 9^th and 31^st streets only in the Resort Area. Residents may also park their vehicles at four Town Center garages:

• Maroon Garage (Apex Entertainment VB)
• Red Garage (Westin Hotel)
• Green Garage (Armada-Hoffler Tower)
• Orange Garage (Clark-Nexsen Tower)

No parking is available in the 24-hour reserved spaces at the Town Center garages. These spaces are leased by residents, and towing will be enforced. Be aware that if garages lose power, lighting and elevators will not be operable.

Additional reminders:

• Make sure you are not blocking storm drains. If you spent the weekend cleaning up debris from Ian, please make sure you are not blocking storm drains or inlets with yard debris bags or any other objects. Per City Code, only put yard debris bags out for collection on your scheduled pickup day and make sure bags are out of the water line.
• Check the status of roads you may need to travel using the WAZE app. The City of Virginia Beach works with WAZE (available for Android and iPhone) to document and report road conditions. Residents can report flooding or other hazardous road conditions directly on the app or by calling 311. Do not attempt to drive through high water. It can be extremely dangerous.
• Cancellations and service changes will be posted on the City's emergency site, emergency.VBgov.com, as well as its social media sites. Follow the City (@CityOfVaBeach) on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
• Stay out of floodwaters: The Virginia Beach Department of Public Health reminds residents to avoid flood waters as much as possible. Don't allow kids or pets to splash in it either. Standing water after heavy rainfall could contain high levels of bacteria (i.e. from animal feces), chemicals, and sharp submerged objects.
• Remove or secure objects outside your home and business that may become projectiles during high winds – lawn furniture, garbage/recycling containers, potted plants, etc.
• Sign up for VBAlert to get emergency alerts from the City of Virginia Beach via text message and/or email. Simply text VBAlert to 67283 or visit VBgov.com/vbalert to register online.
• Know Your Zone. Residents should make necessary preparations now should evacuation become necessary, starting with the state's system for identifying areas in which homes and businesses are located. The state maintains vaemergency.gov/know-your-zone, a website that allows people to type in their addresses to find their designated zones.
• 311 (Citizen Services) is available 24 hours a day for questions and for reporting non-emergency conditions. Please only call or text 911 in a life-threatening emergency.
• Power Outages: Contact Dominion Energy to report power outages at 1-866-366-4357 or online at dominionenergy.com. Treat all downed power lines as live.