DMV crews on standby ahead of Hurricane Helene

ALEXANDRIA, Va. ( DC News Now ) – Preparations are underway across the DMV for any potential impacts that Hurricane Helene may bring.

Many neighbors who live in Old Town said they’re not too concerned that the area will flood. Officials in D.C. and Virginia, however, said they’re making sure they’re ready for whatever the storm may bring.

Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall Thursday evening along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Experts said due to its size, the effects of the storm could be felt in the DMV area.

“With this storm, what we think we’re going to be looking at is rain,” D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management director, Clint Osborn, said. “The storm track is forecasted to go up more toward the Midwest and west of the District. But we also know we’re going to get rain. We’ve already started getting rain from this system.”

D.C. officials are making sure they’re prepared.

“We focus on areas where water can pool,” Osborn said. “We look at low-lying areas, we look at our storm drains, and our catch basins and we make sure those are clear so that the stormwater has somewhere to go and get away from our roadways.”

In Alexandria, Dominion Energy crews are also preparing for any challenges Helene may pose.

“Telling guys to be ready to be on-call,” Dominion Energy representative, Ben Cockerille, said. “We do have standby 24/7 right now. Guys are ready to go the minute the phone rings.”

Some neighbors and businesses in Old Town, like The Fish Market, aren’t too concerned.

“Honestly,” Fish Market manager, Sophie Witucki, said. “Our business here, Fish Market, has been open since 1976. So, we have seen our fair share of rainstorms, and we are not afraid of it.”

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency on Wednesday. That allows Virginia to have certain resources across the state available if any part gets hit hard by Hurricane Helene.

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