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Hundreds are stranded in Virginia after a storm washed away a road and Tropical depression 11 is expected to become record-setting Tropical Storm Josephine by Wednesday night and could be north of Puerto Rico by Friday.
Heavy downpours from storms in Virginia flooded a creek and washed away a road early on Wednesday morning leaving hundreds stranded. The area still remains under a flood warning by the National Weather Service (NWS).
The massive sinkhole swallowed cars in Manassas Park, Virginia around 4:30 AM in the 300 block of Mosby Court, Fox 5 reported. An officer spotted a downed tree and from there discovered the washed out roadway. Authorities say at least one vehicle was washed away into the creek, and at the time of this writing, at least another vehicle remained trapped. No injuries were reported.
At least 400 residents of the Manassas Park neighborhood remained stranded in their homes due to the missing roadway and without another access road out of the neighborhood. A path is being cleared in the rear of the neighborhood to allow foot access in and out of the neighborhood in case of an emergency. According to local officials, all residents of the neighborhood still have water and electricity.
As of Monday morning, tropical depression 11 was currently roughly 1400 miles east of the Leeward Islands and moving west at 15 miles per hour, ABC 11 reported. The storm had sustained winds near 35 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), but wind speeds are expected to reach 40 miles per hour by the early evening hours of Wednesday. The threshold for reaching tropical storm status is when sustained winds reach 39 miles per hour.
If tropical depression 11 becomes tropical storm Josephine, it will be yet another record-breaking storm in 2020, becoming the earliest J-named storm in the Atlantic recorded history. The previous record is currently held by tropical storm José, set on August 22, 2005.
Officials are repeatedly warning people who live in areas known to be affected by hurricanes to get prepared in advance – and for good reason. The year 2020 is forecast to be one of the most active hurricane seasons, and as storm after storm breaks new records for early formations, it is a clear sign that the weather experts are accurate in their predictions. Therefore, everyone needs to take these warnings seriously.
At a basic minimum you need to have an emergency kit with a battery or hand-crank weather radio, flashlight, a 3-day supply of food and water for you, your family and pets. It is also recommended to have a cell phone. You can find low cost and pay-as-you-go deals everywhere, including getting a Samsung free phone.
