CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Fire and emergency crews are gearing up for Hurricane Joaquin.
“The biggest thing is that we have enough divers on duty, and that every diver is outfitted with gear so he’s ready to respond when the call comes in,” said Terry Chambers, with Chesterfield Fire & EMS.
Chesterfield dive teams have their gear and boats ready to go.
“We get quite a few calls for cars in the water. People don’t realize the depth of the water,” said Chambers.
He says with heavy rainfall in the forecast, it’s bound to happen again–flash flooding and drivers getting stuck.
“Not just your rivers. Your small streams and creeks and stuff behind your house could become flood stage water,” he said.
According to the National Weather Service, it takes just 12 inches of flowing water to carry a car away. If you see water on the road, turn around.
“You start into it, and the water current is so strong, it actually sweeps the car off the road,” said Chambers.
Emily Ashley is the Chesterfield County’s Emergency Management Coordinator.
“Every department is going through their own checklist of what safety assets that they have,” said Ashley.
With Joaquin’s path still uncertain, she says county leaders are preparing for the worst case scenario.
“We’re just running through our heads — what if it does come toward Virginia, what do we need to be planning for? How and when would we staff our emergency operations center?” she said.
