NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Public Works crews were on a roll Wednesday, clearing out city storm structures.
Three teams hopped in yellow vacuum trucks, called Vactors, to unclog drains ahead of Elsa’s arrival.
“We are just out here trying to help Norfolk survive another storm,” said Vactor Supervisor Kevin Smith.
Smith and his crew tackled a clogged drain that was almost overflowing with water near Military Circle Mall. He said they vacuum out trash, branches, and grass clippings.
“It could take as long as two hours, we don’t know what’s down there,” Smith said.
More than 30 teams canvassed the city. They checked ponds, pump stations, streets and ditches.
“They will be out there mowing, weed eating and clearing debris out of ditches,” said Michelle Williams, Norfolk's stormwater spokeswoman.
Williams said they roll out these operations all year long.
“Between our catch basins, our manholes and our outfalls, we have over 20,000 storm structures that we are cleaning on a daily basis,” Williams said.
While stormwater teams are covering a lot of ground, Dominion Energy is keeping an eye on powerlines up high.
“Our trucks are gassed, they are ready, we have all of our equipment on board we are ready to respond,” said Dominion Energy Communications Specialist Paula Miller.
Officials encourage people to prepare for potential outages ahead of Elsa’s arrival.
“Have the flashlights, batteries, cleaning supplies and face coverings on hand,” Miller said. “Have a first aid kit, that is always important.”
Smith said the community can lend a hand by keeping litter in the can.
“They can stop throwing things out of the side of windows, that would help a lot,” Smith said. “And stop growing plants inside of ditches.”
If the lights go out, Dominion Energy officials encouraged the community to report outages on their website or by phone.
Norfolk residents can also reach out to the city about flooding concerns through the Norfolk Cares website.