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Emergency Information by LocalityBy WY Daily Staff Saturday, August 27, 2011
UPDATED 10:59 p.m.: The City of Williamsburg is declaring a curfew starting at 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. No persons or vehicles should be on the roads except emergency personnel. The curfew applies to all persons within the city except federal, state and local law enforcement; fire, rescue and utility company personnel; emergency operating personnel; and contractors performing services directed by the City Manager acting as the Director of Emergency Management. 4:55 p.m.: Reminder to Dominion Power customers, please report outages as soon as possible to 866-366-4357. They will not know your power is out unless you tell them. Every call to the hotline allows the system to narrow down the precise location of the outage so that crews get to the right sites. 2:35 pm: The City of Williamsburg reports crews are working to remove some fallen trees, and asks motorists to stay off the road. 2:04 p.m.: County officials urge all residents to stay off the roads especially during the height of Hurricane Irene’s impact in James City County. Tropical force winds and heavy rain are predicted to continue until late Saturday night. If you must travel, approach all intersections with caution especially if there are no stoplights. Report traffic light outages to JCC police dispatch at 564-2151. Report downed trees and power lines to the County public inquiry line at 564-2140 or 911. The County’s public shelter which opened Friday evening is located at the James City Williamsburg Community Center, 5301 Longhill Road. There are 39 people currently at the shelter. 1:57 p.m.: The American Red Cross Coastal Virginia Region has assembled disaster response teams, supplies and equipment ready to mobilize to Hampton Roads when conditions improve following Irene. Right now, the Red Cross is assisting local governments at the shelters. Volunteers and staff are working at two operation centers on the Peninsula and Southside. The Red Cross recommends closing and locking all doors and windows; closing drapes, blinds and window shades; keep flashlights and disaster kit within reach at all times; under severe wind conditions, go to a room in the center of your home with the fewest windows and doors; use your landline first to make phone calls; and keep pets indoors. 12:28 p.m.: York-Poquoson Sheriff's Deputies are searching for the owner of a 2000 black Mercury Mountaineer found parked next to the boat ramp at Back Creek Park. A mobile phone was also discovered on a pylon nearby. The deputies, along with the Virginia Marine Resource Commission Police, conducted a search of the shoreline and the York County Department of Fire and Life Safety searched the area by boat, but were unable to find the owner. Anyone with information is asked to call York County authorities at 757-890-3630. 12:08 p.m.: City Manager Jack Tuttle has declared a local emergency for the city. The city shelter, located at Quarterpath Recreation Center, and the city’s Emergency Operations Center will both open at 8 a.m. Saturday. The shelter is located at 202 Quarterpath Road (click here for directions). For information about what to bring to the shelter, click here or call (757) 259-3760. Starting Saturday morning, citizens can contact the EOC to report problems or issues at (757) 259-7200. The city will allow residents to park in the Prince George Street Parking Garage for free at 6 p.m. Friday until 8 a.m. Monday. To get Williamsburg-specific updates, listen to 92.3 FM The Tide, sign up for text messages at City 411, follow the city on Facebookand Twitter, or sign up for email updates through Enotify. Williamsburg Area Transportation Authority (WATA) has temporarily suspended the Surry Connector Service beginning Friday to coincide with the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry service suspension. Information about resuming service will be forthcoming. Additionally, the Green Line, which primarily serves the College of William and Mary, will suspend service at noon on Friday and resume service Tuesday at 7 a.m. WATA r more information. buses will shuttle students unable to leave the Williamsburg area to nearby hotels beginning at noon on Friday. The latest WATA updates are available online, their Twitter page (goWATA_VA), and on Facebook. Please call the WATA office at (757) 220-5493. 11:13 a.m.: JCC Deputy Chief of Police Stan Stout offers several tips for weathering the storm. If you are driving and arrive at a traffic light with no power, state code says drivers should treat the intersection as an all-way stop. "Stop in all directions, and then proceed cautiously through the intersection," he says. Please report any traffic light outages to the police dispatcher at 564-2151. He also recommends people stay off cell phones while driving. He expects an increase in winds between noon and 3 p.m. and a peak of winds around 9 p.m. He suggests unplugging or turning off appliances until the power comes back on. 7:30 a.m.: As Irene tracks closer to the Triangle, some reports of power outages in the area are already being reported. Be sure to check the Dominion power outage map to get updates. If you click the "outage maps and data" tab, you can click on the interactive power map and zoom in to the area you are interested in. Dominion reminds its customers to call toll free 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357) in the event of outages or downed lines. The company’s outage reporting system, which consists of call-center representatives as well as an automated voice response unit, can handle up to 100,000 calls an hour. Using the voice response unit is the quickest way to report an outage or downed power line. Dominion will update its website with information about the storm. A Twitter feed (@domvapower) and Facebook page (Dominion Virginia Power) also are available. Currently there are 925 residents in the City without power. The City Shelter, located in the Quarterpath Recreation Center, has been operating since 8 a.m. and there are currently 8 individuals there. For information on what to bring to the shelter go to the city’s website or call 259-7200. 9:48 a.m.: Williamsburg Emergency Operations Center and city shelter both opened at 8 a.m. Citizens can contact the EOC at 757-259-7200 to report problems or issues. The city's shelter is located at 202 Quarterpath Road in the Quarterpath Recreation Center. In an emergency, citizens should still call 911. 8:00: Due to deteriorating weather conditions, Williamsburg Area Transportation Authority (WATA) will suspend service at 9 a.m. Stranded passengers call 757-220-5493 to be picked up. WATA is only running the Blue, Red, Orange, Gray, Tan, Purple 1 & Purple 2 Lines Saturday until 1:00 p.m. No half-hour service or Sunday service. 3:41 p.m.: Colonial Williamsburg will continue to operate three key hotel properties throughout the weekend including the Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg Lodge and the Woodlands Hotel. In addition these three hotels will provide restaurant and retail operations within these properties for the convenience and benefit of our guests. 3:00 p.m.: The Williamsburg Area Transit Authority (WATA) will only run its core service routes on Saturday from 6 a.m. - 1 p.m. WATA will temporarily suspend all bus and trolley services beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday through at least Sunday. Because of the volatile nature of the storm and possible effects, information about resuming service has yet to be determined. Please call the WATA office at (757) 220-5493 for more information, or visit their website here. 9:35 a.m.: James City County has fully staffed its Emergency Operations Center. At this time, 24 residents are in the public shelter and 59 homes have lost power. Friday 10 p.m.: Grove Christian Outreach Relief Center has been deemed a "disaster relief center" for those in need, according to its Facebook page. They will be looking for volunteers to help with clean-up and recovery Monday and into next week. If you are willing to volunteer, click under "volunteers" on this page and fill out an inquiry, selecting "disaster relief." 6:46 p.m.: The James City Service Authority (JCSA) is monitoring water and sewer service. Grinder pump customers should be aware that they will experience loss of sewer service during a power outage. The loss of sewer service will only affect 800 grinder pump customers. For more information, call 757-564-2140. 2:07 p.m.: James City County will open a shelter at 8 p.m. tonight at the James City/Williamsburg Community Center located at 5301 Longhill Road. A public inquiry line has been established, 757-564-2140, to answer questions. County residents should sign up to receive local emergency alert information at www.jccalert.org. Text messaging charges may apply. 1:45 p.m.: JCC County Administrator Robert Middaugh declared a local State of Emergency at noon, allowing the county to mobilize resources and open its shelter. A public inquiry line has been established at 757-564-2140. The county shelter will open at 8 p.m. tonight at the James City/Williamsburg Community Center located at 5301 Longhill Road. People who live in mobile homes should plan to evacuate. Citizens who choose to leave should first go to their family or friends for shelter, before coming to the county shelter. If transportation is needed, call 757-259-3100 or after 5 p.m., call 757-564-2140. If you choose to go to the shelter, bring: pillows, blankets, sleeping bags or air mattresses; extra clothing; folding chairs, lawn chairs or cots; hygiene supplies; flashlights and batteries; quiet games, books or toys; important papers; and prescriptions. Do not bring: alcohol, weapons or pets. Residents who evacuate should arrange for pets to be boarded or sheltered in a safe location. The county's website has a link for area hotels that accept pets. As a last alternative, residents can call 757-564-2140. To get JCC-specific updates, listen to 92.3 FM The Tide, sign up for JCCAlert text messages, check the county’s Facebook and Twitter, visit the County website or call the emergency hotline at (757) 874-2424. Spanish-speaking residents should find information here. VDOT temporarily suspended ferry service at the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry Friday morning. All ferry boats will be relocated to Richmond. Service will resume once crews determine the boats can return safely. If weather conditions improve ferry operations will continue. The Colonial National Historical Park will close Saturday and Sunday. This includes Historic Jamestown, the Yorktown Battlefield and trolley service, but not the Colonial Parkway. Crews will not respond to downed trees during the storm, however. UPDATED 10:34 a.m.: York County's shelters at Tabb High School and the Grafton School complex opened Friday. As of 10 a.m., 54 people have taken shelter at Tabb and 23 are staying at Grafton. In anticipation of the approach of Hurricane Irene, York County has issued a mandatory evacuation of all low-lying areas in the county. These areas include, but are not limited to, the Yorktown waterfront area, and the low lying areas of Dandy, Seaford, Dare and lower portions of Tabb and Hampton Highway. To help determine if you are in a low lying area, visit www.yorkcounty.gov and click on the Storm Surge maps. Residents whose properties flooded or were damaged by storm surge during Hurricane Isabel can expect storm impacts from Hurricane Irene. People who live in mobile homes should also plan to evacuate. It is recommended that residents who choose to leave should first go to their family or friends for shelter. Otherwise, the county shelter will be available. The county is opening the Grafton School complex at 403 Grafton Drive, Yorktown, and Tabb High School at 4431 Big Bethel Road, Yorktown, at 6 p.m. this evening as county shelters. Click here for complete details. 4 p.m.: York County Waste Management Center will be CLOSED on Saturday, August 27th. The center will reopen at 7 a.m. Sunday, August 28th for the delivery of storm related debris, or as soon thereafter as weather allows. If opened, they will close the facility at 4:00 p.m. and resume normal operating hours on Monday August 30th. 3:40 p.m.: York County libraries will be closed Saturday, Aug. 27 and Sunday, Aug. 28.; Riverwalk Landing Piers will be closed for all boat docking Saturday and Sunday. The pier will reopen as soon as both weather and pier conditions permit. For more information, contact the Hurricane Hotline at 890-3674. 1:12 p.m.: York County has opened a Hurricane Hotline. Citizens are encouraged to call 757-890-3674 if they have questions or concerns. 12:31 p.m.: The county is opening several county parking lots for public needs. The following lots will be open for any vehicles, including RVs, trailers and boats: Seaford Elementary School, Mt. Vernon Elementary School, Waller Mill Elementary School, Kiln Creek Park, York County Sports Complex, and York-Poquoson Courthouse. Parking in these lots is at the property owner’s own risk. Long-term parking in all other county and school parking lots is prohibited as those areas may be used for emergency operations or sheltering needs. Find information about emergency preparedness here. Useful Information: Click here for information on high school sporting event cancellations in our area. In case you need some last-minute preparation suggestions, check out the the Virginia Department of Emergency Management website to see what you need to prepare for a hurricane. |
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WY Daily is tracking updates on preparations for Hurricane Irene for each locality, including information about shelters, power outages and road closures if they occur. Click below to find information, posted as we get it, for your area. Listen to updates at 92.3 Tide FM or 107.9 BACH FM or stream our updates on 92.3 Tide FM 
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