Tropical Storm Hanna knocked out power to thousands across Hampton Roads as it rushed northward Saturday, yet the region was spared the brunt of its torrential rains and 50-mph sustained winds.
By midafternoon, the storm had raced past Hampton Roads after rolling off the Atlantic and lashing the Carolinas overnight. It was expected to be near the coast of Maine this morning.
“We lucked out this time,” said Bruce Nedelka, division chief for emergency medical services in Virginia Beach.
Dominion Virginia Power and Dominion North Carolina Power reported that a total of 190,000 customers had been affected by the storm. Almost 170,000 customers in Virginia and North Carolina had their electric service restored by 6 p.m. today.
However, there were still 18, 523 without power and crews were working at more than 800 locations.
Little damage was reported, with the exception of a few downed trees.
“It’s been a fairly minimal event,” said Don Robertson, spokesman for Isle of Wight County.
The storm dumped less than an inch of rain at Norfolk International Airport, with winds gusting to 47 mph. In downtown Suffolk, 1.72 inches of rain fell between Friday and Saturday afternoon and winds gusted to 37 mph, said Jim Judkins, the city’s emergency management coordinator.
“Things went pretty much according to what was anticipated,” said Bill Sammler, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service office in Wakefield. “Hampton Roads wasn’t expected to get big rain out of this and didn’t.”
State police dealt with several minor crashes on interstates 64 and 264 Saturday morning, and authorities restricted motorcycles and certain vehicles from traveling across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Wind gusts at the 17.6-mile span exceeded 55 mph Saturday.
The Port of Hampton Roads closed at 7 a.m. Saturday due to expected gale-force winds, and it remained closed to boat traffic at 4 p.m. due to the possibility of additional rain bands and wind gusts in the area, said Coast Guard Lt. Katie Moretti.
As Hanna loomed offshore Friday, officials issued local declarations of emergency and began opening operations centers and shelters. Concerts, university classes and other special events were canceled or postponed.
In Virginia Beach, more than 30 people sought refuge overnight in a shelter set up at Birdneck Elementary School. But by noon Saturday, it became clear the worst of the storm was passing by Hampton Roads. Authorities closed the shelter at 2 p.m., then closed the emergency operations center an hour later.
In Chesapeake, officials also closed a shelter and emergency operations center at 3 p.m.
The storm’s heaviest rains appeared to soak the Richmond and Charlottesville areas, according to the weather service.
Dozens of roads in Central Virginia were left impassable, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. For a short time Saturday morning, state police closed all lanes of Interstate 95 just north of Richmond after power lines fell.
Gov. Timothy Kaine said the most significant challenge from the storm was rain, particularly between I-95 and the Blue Ridge mountains. About 1 to 3 inches of rain fell east of the interstate, but closer to 4 to 6 inches was recorded in central Virginia, he said.
Prince William County, he said, was hit hardest, with as much as 10 inches of rain reported.
Three fatal crashes on central and Northern Virginia roadways were caused by hydroplaning, he said.
The first bands of the storm dropped heavy rain in Hatteras late Friday morning and then in Nags Head and Hampton Roads on Friday afternoon. Scattered showers were falling across Hampton Roads as winds picked up after dawn Saturday.
By noon, however, the center of the storm had passed Emporia, and by 2 p.m., it was north of Williamsburg.
The Sunday forecast is sunny with temperatures in the high 80s, according to the National Weather Service.
“All in all,” Sammler said, “we fared pretty well.”
Pilot writers Dave Forster and Mike Saewitz contributed to this report.
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We got robbed!
Hanna was supposed to dump a lot of rain on us but all she did was blow things around a bit. If it's not our city representatives cheating us, it's Mother Nature. Sometimes you get the idea that Someone upstairs doesn't like us very much . . . but not to the point they don't like New Orleans. That's something to be thankful for . . .
The local TV stations were on the air,
not telling anything new but showing the same things over and over...because they can..granted, Karrie Furey is very attractive, and Jon should have devoted more time for his "Brain Buriser", it was business as usual, 90 minutes of news or in reality, 20 minutes of news re-broadcast two more times to fill up the time slot...
Marym
Uhhhh, ok MaryM. Thank you for that useful information.
Falconski
The Pilot doesn't set restrictions on what people say in their posts as long as they are on topic and honor the posting rules. I don't think it is really up to us to do that either. At least, if I were going to be the website "policeman" I would want to get paid for it (smile). Cheers, MGM
Aesop weather
Remember the fable about the boy who cried wolf?
Take note, local weather people.
ok
Why are we getting damage reports from people about a storm that was weaker than half the rainstorms we've had this year? Will you please get real.
KI UPDATE
Here on Knotts Island it was uneventful. According to the reports during the storm we were in the right front quadrant and got the heaviest winds. It broke a tree branch and that is about it. I have seen people losing shingles on older roofs or those who use 3 tab shingles but that is to be expected.
It was blowing rain off of the water so hard it hurt though.
Until the next storm...
Just trees
Here at my house out by Mt. Trashmore I have tons of Tree limbs and debris like that to clean up in the morning. I am not doing a thing today! I just wish we would of gotten a little more rain out of this. Not to sure what totals are but there was not to much here.
Damage
We've been planning on replacing both our front and back doors, and now we have no choice. The back door is from our attic to the upper deck an the wind blew it shut so many times today it knocked it out of alignmen. I won't be using my front door until it is replaced, the wind blew it open and now it won't stay closed and so we had to put a sliding bolt on it to both keep it closed and keep it locked.
The wind is still blowing pretty hard and its currently raining here near the Maryland line, so I haven't been able to assess other area damage.
roof damgae
There is roof damage all over my neighborhood here in VA Beach. How about you guys?
what a storm
Where is Brick Tamland when you need him?
Thanks,Pat!
Rev Robertson saved us again!!!
Crying wolf
All the unnecessary hype... Kind of silly they said for days that Hanna was not much of a storm. Surely the "locals" took the opportunity to "blow" the storm all out of proportion as a practice run for when "the big one" comes.
It will be difficult to know if I should take them seriously or not, though.
How many folks do y'all think will leave NOLA "next" time?
Hope y'all don't think the weather is the only thing the media hypes.
TS Hanna
Called "much ado about nothing..."
What a bust!
Inch and half of rain per my calibrated rain gauge from Home Depot, grunches of leaves...two twigs and one trash can that fell over. Only personal injury I found was a bird that managed to smack into the window of my fortress of solitude/work shop.
Since I bought all that beer yesterday, started drinking it at 8:54 this morning before it gets warm. Not because I lost power but because my wife wants it outta "her" refridgerator (even though I bought it, drove home and rolled into place).
Over the past hours, WAVY, WTKR, ad nauseum "on-the-scene reporters and cameramen were out at the water front who managed to get video of some rather large creatures of the tourist persuasion....aliens, just can't rid of 'em.
storm
The reporting of Wavy News 10 and the weather team of Slater and Cash is ridiculous. Journalism programs should use this as a teaching tool as not the way to report the news. It is almost comical. Almost!
Injury!
I was injured by Hanna! A pine cone hit me on the shoulder while I was standing on my deck drinking coffee this morning!
(It actually did kind of hurt.)
Anyone been down to look at the waves? I'm considering walking down to the beach in a bit to see what the ocean looks like.
Six Godly Men
took shelter at the Golden Corral this morning for good coffee and a hot breakfast. A great time had by all.
Cetegory zero
Storm is a disappointment. For all the super duper double whopper doppler 5000 babble, I've seen little action.
WVEC,WAVY, WTKR
LOL the local news folks, had to continually make up stuff to try and stay on air, after they realized their attempt were futile, they finally got off the air and returned to regular programming. Sorry you guys did not get your big story. Goodbye Hanna!!! Now let's pray for the folks who will eventually have to deal with Hurricane Ike, now that is something that will need around the clock coverage.
Where's the rain...?
C'mon, Norfolk could really use a good bath!
RIR Has Been Cancalled
The Cup race will be at 1:00 on Sunday on ESPN, and the Nationwide will be at 6:00 on ESPN2, according to SIRUIS Nascar 128
Tropical storm
"with the exception of Isabel, which I was glad I evacuated for -"
Isabel was a tropical storm in Hampton Roads. Now you are ready to brave a Cat 2 hurricane?
Gettin' deep in here.
Uh oh
I just saw a Dog, a Girl, and a house fly by. Obendorf may not survive this storm.
I will alert when the flying monkey arrive.
lol...
you guys are crazy....haha....everyone be safe and smart this weekend...
been there done that
Lived in Guam for 5.5 years, 6 typhoon's(what they call hurricanes in that area), slept or dank through them all and even played in the eye of the storm (got pictures to prove it).....Bring it on...
Tropical What?
Call me when a noreaster gets here. Our parking lot floods all the time, but strangely enough not unless there's a weather incident higher than a Cat 2 Hurricane. Or a noreaster. Noreasters are worse than most hurricanes that pass through here in my opinion (with the exception of Isabel, which I was glad I evacuated for - not fond of the sewer backing up into the parking lot). I parked my car somewhere else just in case, but I'm not expecting anything but a few gusts and I live 5 minutes away from the oceanfront.
hurricane trivia anyone?
What is the origin of the word "hurricane?" A. The name of the Carib god of evil B. An Aztec word for "strong wave" C. A Portugese coastal town D. A mythical sea monster that devoured sailors
An Australian forecaster was the first to name tropical cyclones in the late 1800s. What did he name them after? A. Former girlfriends B. Disliked politicians C. Childhood friends D. Famous philosophers
How many Category 5 hurricanes have hit the United States since 1899? A. 3 B. 4 C. 5 D. 6
Where is a tropical storm or hurricane the strongest? A. Front left B. Front right C. Back left D. Back right
These came from http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sns-hc-quiz,0,5107804,post.triviaquiz
Hanna-
Generator, gas, refrigerator, Bud Light and a flash light.... Bring it on....
Who is Hanna?
Is there a Hanna Montana concert at the Amphitheater this weekend?