Wind gusts and heavy rain from Tropical Storm Hanna caused a series of minor traffic problems across the region this morning, although the brunt of the storm appeared to be causing bigger headaches in central Virginia.
State police closed all lanes of Interstate 95 just north of Richmond for a short time after power lines fell around 8:30 a.m. Traffic was detoured to nearby highways but has since reopened. Route 615 North in Hanover County also was closed after it became impassable, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Wind gusts of 55 mph were reported at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, leading authorities to impose Level 3 travel restrictions. The following types of vehicles are the only ones permitted to cross the 17.6 mile span:
Cars and pick-up trucks without cargo, mini-vans, vans except for high-profile or conversion vans, sport-utility vehicles, tractors without trailers, empty flat-bed trailers, commercial buses and heavily-laden tractor-trailers with a 40,000 payload in addition to the rig.
Marinas on U.S. 158 just outside of Elizabeth City in Camden County were flooded with about two feet of water as south winds pushed the Pasquotank River inland. The marinas typically flood with strong south winds.
Tidal overwash flooded some streets in Elizabeth City. Barricades are set up on Southern Avenue, Riverside Avenue, Roanoke Avenue and Parkview Road, said Rich Olson, Elizabeth City manager.
State police have cleared crashes that occurred earlier on local interstates, and emergency dispatchers reported no major problems at 11:45 a.m.
The Associated Press and Pilot writer Jeff Hampton contributed to this report.
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