Today in Portsmouth!
Today in Portsmouth!
Although PWRS has been at this site for only 22 years, its founder has beenin the area for 44 years. In that time, the great Ash Wednesday Storm ofthe 1960s was the most severe prolonged wind and flooding producer. Sincethen nor'easters have come and gone but the current one is likely secondmost severe compared with the Ash Wednesday Storm.
The day began with building winds from the east and southeast. By mid-morningwinds were gusting to 70 MPH at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel with lessergusts as one moved west from the tunnel. Winds here in Portsmouth gusted to48 MPh from the SE at 11:45 AM EST. Winds continued strong from the eastfor the balance of the day.
Bands of showers moved first from the south then the south-southeast by sunsetwith squally weather at that time. Cloud to ground lightning moved over thestation between 4:35 and 5:10 PM. Rainfall for the day totalled 3.86" and added to the day's previous totalcreated a storm total of 4.03".
The prolonged, steady onshore winds and heavy rainfall combined to produce moderate floodingin the afternoon in the flood-prone areas of Hampton Roads which includesSandbridge at Virginia Beach's east shores and the low-lying areas aroundthe river tributaries of Norfolk and Portsmouth. Severe flooding was tobe realized Thursday morning with flood levels some 7.1 feet above mean low water mark.This produced severe flooding of the usual areas.
Most schools were closed while some schools further inland opened on a delayed basis.
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