LYNCHBURG, Va. – With Tropical Storm Debby expected to hit Virginia in the next 24 hours, Lynchburg residents can breathe a sigh of relief one area prone to flooding will be safe this year.
The city started removing the dam earlier in the year. For decades, the dam was prone to overflowing when the city experienced a heavy amount of rain within a short period of time.
Most recently was back in 2018 when the dam overflowed and residents downstream were told to evacuate.
Now eyes are on Tropical Storm Debby but with the dam no longer there, Tim Mitchell with Lynchburg Water Resources is feeling good about preparations for Thursday and Friday.
“Before this was done a few months ago, we would have folks out here 24/7 monitoring the situation, making sure that if there was a chance that the road and dam would overtop, we could act quickly for that. We’re grateful for that now, that we don’t have to do that,” Mitchell said.
Other parts of the city are still prone to flooding and people are asked to remain cautious when the weather arrives.
Mitchell and his team are taking every precaution necessary.
“We’ve got crews going out and making sure inlets and ditches are cleared. Where we have problem areas especially, making sure that those are adequate and have capacity for the storm We put additional standby crews on standby so that we have more people available after hours should we need them as well,” Mitchell said.
10 News will have teams throughout the region covering Tropical Storm Debby and the conditions.