FORT LEE, Va. – A thunderstorm packing heavy rain and high winds pelted the installation and numerous other communities throughout southeast Virginia Sunday afternoon.
According to the National Weather Service in Wakefield, the storm – scattered and relatively short in duration – generated gusty gales up to 50 mph and dropped nearly a half an inch of rain in some locations.
Fort Lee was among the communities impacted and is today littered with debris and downed trees. Some locations on Virginia’s Lower Peninsula are still without electricity due to knocked down power lines.
Sunday’s storm is a reminder to take precautions when severe weather is forecast. It also underscores the importance of emergency preparedness, particularly in light of the fact that hurricane season remains in effect until Nov. 30.
The eyes of forecasters at the moment are on Tropical Storm Ian, which is expected to reach hurricane strength before it is projected to make landfall in Florida around the middle of the week. From there, it will likely push its way up the east coast, with the remnants reaching this area over the weekend.
Emergency planners here have long stressed the importance of having/maintaining an emergency supply kit, creating and rehearsing a crisis response plan, and staying informed about community contingencies for looming disasters – i.e. evacuation routes, emergency shelter locations, notification systems, etc.
Additionally, they encourage military and civilian employees who have not already done so to sign up for the installation’s Alert! notification system.
Those with a Common Access Card can sign in to any computer connected to the government network and visit alert.csd.disa.mil/AlertSplashPage to sign up. If any difficulties are encountered, seek assistance from your organization’s computer technician or the personnel manager assigned to most units.
For more information about emergency preparations, visit www.ready.gov.
If an app is more useful, download one at www.fema.gov/mobile-app. The Federal Emergency Management Agency product features preparation walk-throughs and real-time weather alerts.
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