Dozens of Virginia roads shut down due to flooding as Hurricane Helene approaches

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Heavy rainfall Wednesday night has flooded dozens of roads in northwestern Virginia, creating already-dangerous conditions as Hurricane Helene approaches .

The night of Wednesday, Sept. 25, several inches of rain flooded roadways in the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)’s Culpeper District, which is comprised of nine northwestern Virginia counties — Albemarle, Culpeper, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock.

In total, 26 roadways are reported closed as of Thursday afternoon as a result of severe weather. As of the time of reporting, a large amount of the closures appear to be on Albemarle County roads, according to 511Virginia.org . This includes one southbound lane of U.S. Route 29, which closed after a pipe failure beneath the roadway.

With Helene expected to make landfall in the southeastern U.S. Thursday evening, VDOT is urging Virginians to either avoid travel entirely or use extreme caution when out on the road.

“Small streams can rise quickly and without warning due to heavy rain upstream,” VDOT said. “Two feet of water is enough to float most vehicles — including trucks and SUVs — and, when a road is submerged, a driver may not be able to tell whether the road is damaged or washed out. Don’t take chances with floodwaters: ‘Turn Around, Don’t Drown.'”

In addition to responding to flooded roads, VDOT said its crews are receiving reports of fallen trees and utility lines in the roadway.

The department would like to remind drivers to never drive around a barricade. If a road is closed, it is because it has not yet been cleared by VDOT as safe.

“Even if the water is down and the road appears passable, there may be damage that is not immediately apparent,” VDOT said.

If you have questions, or to report hazardous road conditions, contact VDOT’s 24-hour Customer Service Center online or by calling 800-367-7623. For real-time traffic information, call 511 or visit Virginia 511 online .

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