Hanna flooding closes roads

By Uriah A. Kiser

Published: September 6, 2008

Tropical Storm Hanna brought wind, heavy rains and flooding to the region Saturday, prompting road closures throughout Prince William.
High standing water, measured by feet in some areas, forced some area roadways to close, including Route 1 and Centreville and Brentsville roads, while rescue crews also wrangled with downed trees and power lines across the county.
“Everybody is out working on this right now and I expect we will be out there for some time,” said Ericka Hernandez, with Prince William County Police.
Prince William County Service Authority workers were pumping water out of the low-lying Occoquan, as river levels there were expected to rise after noon.
“It’s an old drainage system in the town, but even with the rain I only expect the river to rise about 2 to 3 feet before the storm moves out,” said Kevin Oswalt, owner of the Virginia Grill. The restaurant sits along the Occoquan River and its rear parking lot often floods during heavy rain storms, according to Oswalt. “We haven’t had rain like this in at least six months,” he said.
The rains didn’t stop Steve O’Hararns of Lake Ridge from going outside for a taste of tropical weather. He and his 8-year-old son were walking the sidewalks of Occoquan with umbrellas in hand.
“I didn’t do too much to prepare for the storm,” said O’Harans. “I listened to the weather guys but I didn’t think it would get that bad.”
Tropical storm Hanna made landfall northeast of Myrtle Beach, S.C. at about 3:20 a.m. Saturday. The storm never gained hurricane strength, but did cause minor damage in the Carolinas as it moved north. By 11 a.m. the storm’s center had moved into Virginia with tropical storm force winds extending out 200 miles from the storm’s center, according to the National Weather Service.
Though rainfall amounts were forecasted to hit between 4 and 6 inches as the storm approached, parts of Woodbridge had nearly topped that estimate by early afternoon. “It’s raining now and it is going to keep raining,” said Jackie Hale, forecaster with the National Weather Service.
Hanna is expected to lose its tropical characteristics by Sunday as it begins to affect areas of Maine and Canada.
Roads closed right now
Route 1 between Blackburn and Neabsco Road
Route 1 at Joplin Road
I95 S in area of exit 152
Neabsco Road at the Marina
Port Potomac Avenue, Catenary Drive
Route1 at Wayside Drive
Kahns Road at Purcell Road
Route 1 at Cabin Road, Cardinal Drive, Bel Air Rd, Dale Boulevard and the Stafford County Line
Opitz Boulevard
Dale Boulevard at Gideon Drive, Birchdale Drive and Ashdale Avenue
Featherstone Road
Mine Road at Cameron Rd, I-95 overpass and Van Buren Road
Lake Drive at Rugby Road
Brentsville Road at Bradley Forest Road
Centreville Road at Orchard Bridge Road
Linton Hall Road at Rollingsford Road
Fleetwood Drive at Aden Road
Old Church Road

Source : Prince William Police Department