Flooding issues (Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake: homes, purchase, living in)

[centre]

I realize that Va Beach is at sea level so that the roads do flood some with even a little bit of rain.....However, what areas flood badly most all the time? Looking to purchase a home there and would like this info. Thanks.

[kbsimmons]

I live in Norfolk in the Ocean View/ Bayview area and I know that floods. But I dont really know about other places.. I get stuck in my area!!!

[darzz1]

Originally Posted by centre

I realize that Va Beach is at sea level so that the roads do flood some with even a little bit of rain.....However, what areas flood badly most all the time? Looking to purchase a home there and would like this info. Thanks.

There are lot's of areas in Va. Bch that flood. Yes, the streets do get flooded very easy and make driving difficult.

Holland Rd. is really bad and flood very easy. Especially the area down by the SPCA.

Good luck!

[Mark Sr.]

There are rivers and creeks just about everywhere in the area. We obviously don't get land/mudslides here as we have no hills. What affects this area typically is tidal flooding. Northeaster storms (that can sometimes last for days) that push water into the Chesapeake Bay cause high tides to "stack up" into the rivers and creeks to the south.

A few areas have problems from just large rains (Lake Placid and Casleton are 2 VB areas that come to mind).

-Mark

[CosmicWizard]

I lived on Poplar Point Road in the Great Neck area for 15 years. At least once or twice a year there would be from 6 to 18 inches of water flooding the street. This minor flooding occurred form short term heavy downpours. A sustained heavy rain would cause higher water levels. It was scary watching the water level rise, but it thankfully never came up to the level of my house. It was more of a nuisance than anything else.

IF/WHEN a big hurricane comes thru the area bringing an intense heavy rain, I think just about every home in Virginia Beach will experience flood damage. That was one ( of many ) reasons I sold my home and moved away from Virginia Beach. There is no way the inadequate transportation infrastructure could support a mass evacuation in the event of a major hurricane. Many people would be trapped in their homes, or worse yet, trapped in their cars on a flooded highway.

[Mark Sr.]

Originally Posted by NewAgeRedneck

I lived on Poplar Point Road in the Great Neck area for 15 years. At least once or twice a year there would be from 6 to 18 inches of water flooding the street. This minor flooding occurred form short term heavy downpours. A sustained heavy rain would cause higher water levels. It was scary watching the water level rise, but it thankfully never came up to the level of my house. It was more of a nuisance than anything else.

IF/WHEN a big hurricane comes thru the area bringing an intense heavy rain, I think just about every home in Virginia Beach will experience flood damage. That was one ( of many ) reasons I sold my home and moved away from Virginia Beach. There is no way the inadequate transportation infrastructure could support a mass evacuation in the event of a major hurricane. Many people would be trapped in their homes, or worse yet, trapped in their cars on a flooded highway.

Rainwater run-off is something only a very few people on this planet don't have to deal with. Great Neck Estates certainly has no flooding issues.

As for Hurricanes, we are not S. Florida or even Charleston for that matter. We are quite protected from direct hits from the powerful storms. In 30 years here I have seen plenty of downed trees, crushed cars, etc., from Hurricanes. I have never seen the need to evacuate, though I would not refuse to in a real emergency situation.

The thread asked about bad flooding issues - there's no need to scare people. "Many people would be trapped in their homes", give me a break. If I were paranoid, I'd be preparing for the Tsunami that will hit the East Coast when half of one of the Canary Islands slides into the sea in the next 1000 years or so.

The doomsday scenario predicted in the above post will not happen here. Hurricanes here are usually a wind event lasting 2-5 hours.

Again, Fall Northeasters are our predominant cause of flooding in lowlying areas.

-Mark

[CosmicWizard]

Mark Sr wrote:

The thread asked about bad flooding issues - there's no need to scare people. "Many people would be trapped in their homes", give me a break. If I were paranoid, I'd be preparing for the Tsunami that will hit the East Coast when half of one of the Canary Islands slides into the sea in the next 1000 years or so.

If my post is scaring anyone, perhaps they are living in the wrong location. I simply shared my experience of the rising water levels and my own personal considerations of what could easily happen!

[darzz1]

Originally Posted by NewAgeRedneck

I lived on Poplar Point Road in the Great Neck area for 15 years. At least once or twice a year there would be from 6 to 18 inches of water flooding the street. This minor flooding occurred form short term heavy downpours. A sustained heavy rain would cause higher water levels. It was scary watching the water level rise, but it thankfully never came up to the level of my house. It was more of a nuisance than anything else.

IF/WHEN a big hurricane comes thru the area bringing an intense heavy rain, I think just about every home in Virginia Beach will experience flood damage. That was one ( of many ) reasons I sold my home and moved away from Virginia Beach. There is no way the inadequate transportation infrastructure could support a mass evacuation in the event of a major hurricane. Many people would be trapped in their homes, or worse yet, trapped in their cars on a flooded highway.

What a conicidence!! My best friend lives on Poplar Pt. Rd. in va bch.
Small world

[carrera mike]

Originally Posted by centre

I realize that Va Beach is at sea level so that the roads do flood some with even a little bit of rain.....However, what areas flood badly most all the time? Looking to purchase a home there and would like this info. Thanks.

Here you go bud. See the legends on the side of the map. This depcts the worse case scenario. You can zoom into the streets where you're looking for house
[URL]http://www.vbgov.com/file_source/dept/comit/GIS/Web%20Page/FEMA%20FIRM%20Documents/ComIT_CG_FEMA_Flood_Zones_Preliminary_R2_04302008. pdf[/URL]

[stva]

Centre is probably not going to read this, as he posted it almost two years ago...