Tracking Hurricane Irene

By WY Daily Staff Saturday, August 27, 2011

Hurricane Irene hit land in North Carolina this morning and is moving towards Virginia. Check WYDaily for updates on the storm’s progress.

 

For the most current updates on damage and local government information, see our most recent story, Hurricane Irene Aftermath.

UPDATED 9:22 p.m.: Wayne Stokes of Tabb tells us they're seeing sustained winds between 25 and 30 mph, with more than 10 inches of rain fall total since it began. He says branches and large limbs litter the ground, but the most significant effects have been from rain.

UPDATED 9 p.m.: The eye of the storm is just to the right of the coast, slightly northeast of Norfolk.

8 p.m.: Irene is about 30 miles east-southeast of Norfolk.

7:14 p.m.: Chickahominy Haven resident Becky Brashears tells us the Chickahominy River has lowered from its peak height at 4:30 p.m. Several roads have flooded in the neighborhood, but homes seem to be okay.

6:19 p.m.: The National Weather Service updated Irene's position at 5 p.m. The storm was about to re-emerge over the Atlantic and was about 50 miles south-southwest of Norfolk. Maximum sustained winds were 80 mph, and the eye was moving through Northeast North Carolina and Southeast Virginia.

5:53 p.m.: The City of Williamsburg now has 10 people staying at its shelter at Quarterpath Recreation Center.

5:47 p.m.: Wayne Stokes of Tabb reports the rain and wind was calm, but is now really picking up in Tabb. He says numerous tree limbs and branches are down, but his power was restored at 3 p.m. James City County officials expect the brunt of the storm to pass around 10 p.m.

5:18 p.m.: Williamsburg reports 1,401 residents are without power and 7 inches of rain have fallen since Friday night. Colonial Williamsburg has reported no flooding in the Historic Area other than puddles, and power was lost at The Lodge, but Dominion is working to restore it.

3:35 p.m.: Williamsburg crews are responding to several reports of downed trees, including one that fell on a home on Burns Lane, causing significant structural damage. There were no injuries, but city staff advised the occupants not to stay in their home.

Additionally, VDOT closed Route 17 northbound from Fort Eustis Boulevard to the Coleman Bridge at 1:50 p.m. due to a downed tree. Falling tree limbs have caused roof damage to homes on Hillburne Lane, Sheriff's Place, Parchment Boulevard and Charles River Landing. At present, about 15,000 customers are without power and 63 people in the Tabb High School shelter and 33 at the Grafton School Complex.

3:07 p.m.: Reader John Bubacz tells us a transformer is blown at 600 Penniman Road, and the power is now out. Virginia Department of Emergency Management's latest report shows 393,024 people have lost power throughout Virginia.

2:25 p.m.:The National Weather Service reports Irene is moving across eastern North Carolina now. A north-northeastward motion is expected during the next day or so, with the center of the storm expected to move over the Mid-Atlantic coast Saturday night and move over New England Sunday.

Maximum sustained wind speed is still 85 miles per hour, with only a slight weakening projected as it moves through the area.

Check the NWS website for the latest storm information.

1:50 p.m.: Wayne Stokes of Tabb reports power is out in Tabb, parts of Newport News and Poquoson. He says York has experienced a heavy bout of rain and steady winds near 30 mph, knocking fairly large limbs off the trees in his neighborhood. So far, he estimates Tabb has received nearly six inches of rain.

1:25 p.m.: The tree that fell and blocked the 1000 block of Capitol Landing Road has been cleared.

1:14 p.m.: Access was closed to Fort Eustis at 10 a.m. today instead of the planned 1 p.m. closing time. Only residents of the post or key or essential personnel will be allowed entrance at this time via the main gate. Langley Air Force Base was closed at 9 p.m. Friday.

1:03 p.m.: Reader Becky Brashears tells us the tide is about a foot higher than normal high tide in Chickahominy Haven, where docks that are usually visible are now underwater.

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.

Also, York County has been upgraded to a hurricane warning by the National Weather Service.

11:30 a.m.: R. Wayne Stokes reports that the rain is getting heavier in the Tabb area, with power "flickers" happening in the last 30 minutes or so. Dandy Loop resident Greg Garrett says the wind is blowing much harder, accompanied by harder rain.

11:06 a.m.: The tornado watch for the Williamsburg area has been extended to 8 p.m.

11:03 a.m.: Dominion's Brett Crable says 214 people have lost power in the Williamsburg area, 13,000 have lost on the Peninsula and a total of 87,000 Dominion customers have lost power in all. "We are laser-focused on this," Crable says. "We expect the strongest winds in the Hampton Roads region around 3 p.m. right now."

10:38 a.m.: York County opened two shelters Friday night at Tabb High School and the Grafton school complex. York spokeswoman Christie Phillips reports 54 people have checked in at Tabb and 23 at Grafton. In Williamsburg, one person has decided to stay at the Quarterpath Recreation Center shelter.

10:28 a.m.: The Virginia Department of Transportation will close the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel at 11 a.m. in anticipation of high winds. Track road conditions here.

10:09 a.m.: Ace Peninsula Hardware owner Kevin Deaver says his store will be open today and he has plenty of propane, lanterns, D and 6V batteries, lamp oil and generators.

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. Track power outages here.

9 a.m.: York County resident Greg Garrett reports the maximum wind was 49 mph at 8:49 a.m. in the Dandy Loop area, but was picking up. He said the tide is high, but he hasn't seen any serious flooding yet.

In the Tabb area, resident Wayne Stokes says about two inches of rain have fallen, but the highest gust felt was 29 mph.

8 a.m.: The National Hurricane Center reported Hurricane Irene made landfall near Cape Lookout, N.C., at about 7:30 a.m. The storm had a wind speed of about 85 miles per hour, making it a Category 1 hurricane. Irene is moving towards the north-northeast at about 14 miles per hour, and this motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours.

There is a tornado watch in effect until 11 a.m. for the Historic Triangle, and several other localities in the path of the storm are also under a tornado watch. In hurricanes, tornadoes do not produce hail or a lot of lightning, according to the National Hurricane Center. The center recommends moving to an interior room.

The center of the storm is expected to track across eastern North Carolina Saturday and then move near or over the Mid-Atlantic coast tonight. Early Saturday morning, President Barack Obama declared a State of Emergency for Virginia, which makes aid available by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Tropical storm-force winds will likely spread north along the coast through the hurricane warning area during the day, according to the National Weather Service. An extremely dangerous storm surge will raise water levels by as much as four to eight feet in the hurricane warning area.

The storm is expected to produce between six and 10 inches of rain, with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches.

In the Triangle, tropical storm conditions are expected through the day. Wind gusts could reach 50 miles per hour, with about 4 inches of rain expected during the day.

Track the storm on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website or on the New York Times tracking map.