DANVILLE, Va. – Parts of Southside including Danville are prone to flooding, so officials there are watching Helene’s path closely.
Emergency managers expect to learn more during a weather briefing Thursday afternoon.
“We’ll get more information as far as timing, what to expect, the track of it is,” said Tim Duffer, Deputy Chief for the Danville Fire Department. “Right now, Danville it’s going to be tracking west of us so we’re just kind of monitoring.”
He said in the meantime, residents should prepare now in case conditions take a turn for the worse. An emergency kit should contain supplies to sustain for 48-72 hours.“
If you’ve got an emergency kit in your home and you should, check the batteries in your flashlight,” Duffer said. “Check to see that you have all the routine medications that you need. If you’re getting low, now maybe is a good time to get that refilled now. just going through your checklist at home, making sure you’ve got your own personal stuff to make sure it’s working.”
Duffer said Danville faces threats from flash flooding and then later, in some parts of the area, flooding from the Dan River.
He warns drivers should watch out for flooded roads, and be sure to turn around to avoid danger.
“You don’t know if it washed the road out in that area … and then your car goes into a hole filled with water and that’s where we’ve had the fatalities and the injuries with people driving into that environment,” he said.
Decisions will also be made whether to stage members of a regional swift water rescue team locally or see if they are needed elsewhere in the state.