Schools closed, roads flooded as heavy rains arrive in Buckingham

If you have to drive to work this morning, use caution and stay on the main roads. Emergency crews worked through the night in Buckingham County, dealing with flooding triggered by heavy rains.

“Many roads to the north and east of Dillwyn are currently impassable,” the Buckingham Department of Emergency Services said in a 3:30 a.m. statement. “Water rescues have occurred and standing water has made any driving dangerous.”

Even two hours later, emergency officials urged residents to use extreme caution when commuting to work. They recommended contacting employers to make sure that buildings were going to be open. Buckingham County students, meanwhile, will be staying home today. The district announced early on Tuesday that all schools would be closed due to the flooding and dangerous road conditions. Central Virginia Christian School has also closed today for students and staff. Currently, those are the only groups that have canceled classes.

As of 5:30 a.m., a number of roads in Buckingham are still labeled as high risk. The Buckingham County Sheriff’s Office provided a list of the different roads they’ve received calls about so far this morning, in regards to flooding and dangerous conditions.

That includes :

• N. James Madison Hwy near Thomas Road
• The 2800 block of Rosney Road
• The 1400 block of Randolph Creek Road
• Ridge Road & Penlan Road
• Claybank Road & High Rock Road, especially over bridges
• Plank Road & Back Mountain Road
• School Road
• Johnson Station Road
• Thomas & Allens Lake Road
• Slate Hill Road
• Buffalo Road

Looking ahead for Buckingham

The National Weather Service station out of Wakefield said that flooding could continue through the morning hours, as the entire region is expected to get rain. The rain in Buckingham County will continue through at least 10 a.m., with showers also in the forecast for Cumberland and Prince Edward counties.

The one good thing, NWS forecasters say, is that after this morning, things should dry up. There’s no more rain in the forecast for a 12-day period, giving the ground enough time to dry up and absorb flood waters.

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