SUFFOLK, Va. — With Tropical Storm Debby on the way, Suffolk is gearing up for what’s to come. That means setting aside barriers and road closure signs as the city expects to see two to six inches of rain over the next couple of days.
Richard Stephens, the city’s deputy emergency management coordinator, said winds could gust up to 30 miles an hour.
“Tropical Storm Debby appears to be tracking a little more to the west of us which is good as far as rainfall and timing,” he said.
Though like any storm system, there’s still a level of uncertainty.
“They can change at any moment," Stephens said. "So, we always have to be ready.”
He said crews have fueled up generators and cleaned out storm drains ahead of the incoming system. They're keeping an eye on areas prone to flooding in the city.
Stephens adds he’s tracking Debby’s path, which shares some similarities with Tropical Storm Isaias that hit Suffolk four years ago.
“When you have a hurricane or a tropical system, the worst area for tornadoes is…from the front right quadrant," Stephens said. "That’s the way Isaias came and approached us.”
He said Isaias was a problem for the city. It spurred up a tornado that damaged several homes and businesses downtown and in the Riverview neighborhood.
“[It’s] similar to the way that Debby’s tracking, except Debby’s is a little further away and it’s not going to be as strong…when it approaches Virginia as Isaias was,” Stephens said.
He said there’s always a safety concern when any storm rolls through. That's why he and his team are working closely with the National Weather Service to monitor any impacts from this storm.
City officials urge you to develop a hurricane preparedness plan ahead of the storm.