Florence in NoVa (Alexandria, Charlottesville, Fredericksburg: power lines, townhomes, to buy)

[Flamingo13]

I know it's early but interested in thoughts on how this might affect us.

[spencgr]

rain, rain, rain, more rain, flooding, rain, rain, more flooding, rain.....

[ChristineVA]

Sounds like a lot of rain over the weekend. South/Southwest the worst. For instance, last check DC itself had just under 4 inches of rainfall predicted where Fredericksburg and Charlottesville had about 2 inches more.

[Flamingo13]

I'm hoping not a ton of rain - we've had so much! I kind of worry about my stairwell drain being overwhelmed - hoping for the best. Worst is I have family in New Bern, NC and Charleston - as well as a friend in Wilmington.

[tgbwc]

For most of us outside of areas such as Old Town Alexandria I don't think it will amount to much. A lot of rain, similar to what we've had other times this summer, but not much else.

[Bigfoot424]

We are on very high ground here in then valley but we do have a basement so you never know with the slope of our backyard. We see our bridges flood several times a year closing roads, or at least parts of them making for the need to find other routes. I'm more worried about trees coming down due to the saturated grounds.

[Flamingo13]

Good point about the trees - some in the area came down earlier this week and last w/just that rain - and I'm surrounded by really large trees... guess I can hide in my unfinished basement, LOL (along w/the centipedes and spiders that seem to find their way in)

[SmartMoney]

We suffered a blow by an 80 foot oak during Isabel, came right thru the roof in the LR. The attic held most of the tree, but we had branches in the LR. Oak trees are especially noted for tipping over due to anything more than a puff of wind with saturated ground. This was mid-county in Prince William. I'm now in townhomes in Occoquan, still heavily treed, but don't know how concerned to be about flooding. On kind of on a hill, but not real far from the river, either.

How does one gauge a "once in a lifetime" storm?

[LuvVA]

My only concern is that many trees might fall as the ground is already saturated with consistent rain past few days and they may get uprooted easily if its too windy.

[The Dissenter]

My main worry is downed trees and power lines. My complex’s parking lot has a bunch of big trees so I’m looking into safe locations to leave my SUV.

My mother actually offered to buy me a plane ticket to Indiana if I wanted to evacuate but I’m like nah at best this will be annoying not life threatening.