ROANOKE, VA – Better safe than sorry.
“Stay home if you can,” Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator Laura Schmidt said.
That’s the mantra Roanoke City is pushing ahead of Hurricane Helene’s arrival.
Roanoke Fire Chief David Hoback and his team have been in full prep mode - but while their priority is Roanoke, their resources could be tapped by other counties or even other states.
“We’re a state asset, so with that, we go where the need is,” Hoback said.
They have two swift water rescue teams ready to go at the drop of a hat - but that doesn’t mean you should plan to drive on flooded roads.
“We have that every time. People will go around barricades, they’ll go through flooded roadways, their car will stall out and they’re trapped,” Hoback said.
But one agency is working to cut down on the amount of flooded roadways we see.
Marcus Aguilar is a stormwater engineer for the city.
This map shows the Roanoke City SHARK network.
“The Stream Hydrology and Rainfall Knowledge System,” Aguilar said.
It sounds complicated - but it’s really just a way for the stormwater management team to keep an eye on the rivers and streams.
They use a device about the size of a lunch box, mounted near a waterway, to read water levels every ten minutes.
If the water’s getting too high, Aguilar gets an alert.
“It says, this stream is at this level, pay attention to it, or it’s over the banks, respond,” he said.
The stormwater team works hand in hand with people like Laura Schmidt, the Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator.
“It’s absolutely a team effort. There’s no way a single department could handle all the demands that occur,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt tells us you can also sign up to receive emergency text alerts from the city. That information can be found here.