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Weather may be a factor this week...


GMan
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Just now, GMan said:

Look for games to be moved up to Thursday or cancelled...

So much depends on the storm track.  If the GFS model is correct (and it usually isn’t), then we’ll be more or less fine, except for some spurts of heavy rain.  If the European model is correct (my bet), then Thursday may not be early enough to play the game, and Saturday/Sunday may be better options.

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The community in and around Galax is already recovering from between 6 and 8 inches of rain in a 3 hour period on Saturday night.  Several streets remain closed and likely will be until extensive damage can be repaired. 

I hope this thing shifts direction soon and heads back out to sea!

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51 minutes ago, UVAObserver said:

So much depends on the storm track.  If the GFS model is correct (and it usually isn’t), then we’ll be more or less fine, except for some spurts of heavy rain.  If the European model is correct (my bet), then Thursday may not be early enough to play the game, and Saturday/Sunday may be better options.

The problem won't be wind, it will be all the rain and flooding it will cause...current estimates show the I-77 corridor in VA with 12-20+ inches of rain over a five day period with the storm.  Forecasts show it to move into the mountains of NC and VA and stall for three or four days, dumping copius amounts of rain.  The aftermath may be the worse this region has seen in a long time (think '77 Grundy flood on steroids over a larger area)...

I'm praying for a miss...

https://weather.us/model-charts/euro/north-carolina/acc-total-precipitation/20180919-0600z.html

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I remember in 1989 when Hugo hit. The only game in NETN and SWVA was played in the ETSU mini-dome between Tennessee High and Dobyns Bennett. I can't recall who won right off but I do remember enjoying football while staying dry.

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57 minutes ago, GMan said:

Is that in Galax???  Holy moly!!!  How did that much water get inside the building???

Yes it is.  The video was taken early Sunday morning (around 2am) by deputy chief James Cox of the Galax Police Department.  Depending on where you are in the surrounding area, Galax got between 6 and 8 inches of rain between 11 pm and 2 am.  More pictures can be found on the Galax Fire Department Facebook page (link provided).  

https://www.facebook.com/GalaxFireDepartment/

To answer your second question, a small tributary to Chestnut Creek has been notorious in recent years.  Portions of the tributary have been piped to provide expanded land for residential neighborhoods, streets and playgrounds.  Those pipes are too small for the amount of flow and are beginning to fail due to age and neglect.  On Google Maps, look at Ernie Pyle Street, down Parkwood to McArthur and Swanson, where it goes beneath the elementary school playground.  The playground was under more than 2 feet of water during this storm.  That wall of water washed out the fencing for the playground, moved a stack of lumber from Blevins Building Supply (the business in the original video above) lumber yard into the back of the store.  The water proceeded to rip apart the store and come out the other side where it crossed Main Street and down Bartlett Street.  At that point, it ripped through Vaughan Bassett Furniture and out into Chestnut Creek.

This is Swanson Street with a clear view of the tributary. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.6564921,-80.9267419,3a,60y,239.66h,70.34t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sdaa7GNApu4fC7xT3n7_nSQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

This is Swanson Street during the flooding looking in the same direction as the Maps Street View link.

 

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Looks like they built the VB Furniture building over the creek as well...they were just asking for a flood.  The City of Bluefield has spent millions of $$$$ over the past couple of years fixing underground creek culverts along College Avenue in Bluefield.  That used to flood on just an inch or so of rain...hasn't flooded since they've built the new culverts.  I think the rain this weekend may put it to the ultimate test though...

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2 hours ago, GMan said:

The problem won't be wind, it will be all the rain and flooding it will cause...current estimates show the I-77 corridor in VA with 12-20+ inches of rain over a five day period with the storm.  Forecasts show it to move into the mountains of NC and VA and stall for three or four days, dumping copius amounts of rain.  The aftermath may be the worse this region has seen in a long time (think '77 Grundy flood on steroids over a larger area)...

I'm praying for a miss...

https://weather.us/model-charts/euro/north-carolina/acc-total-precipitation/20180919-0600z.html

Of course, it’s the rain measuring in feet that is the major concern.  My thought was that Thursday will likely be “too late” in terms of trying to get the games in.  Rain precedes the heart of these systems by a good 24-48 hours.  Considering this area has just received a good soak, it won’t take much to light the keg.

 

It appears the truly heavy stuff is aiming toward the Roanoke Valley.  I’ve got a bad feeling that the European Model is pushing this farther east than it will end up being...

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2 minutes ago, GMan said:

Looks like they built the VB Furniture building over the creek as well...they were just asking for a flood.  The City of Bluefield has spent millions of $$$$ over the past couple of years fixing underground creek culverts along College Avenue in Bluefield.  That used to flood on just an inch or so of rain...hasn't flooded since they've built the new culverts.  I think the rain this weekend may put it to the ultimate test though...

The Army Corp of Engineers straightened and deepened Chestnut Creek through Galax many years ago.  The end result helped create Felts Park.  I can't recall it ever flooding outside of its stream banks.  The dozens of small little tributaries feeding into Chestnut Creek are a very different story.  Most have been, at least in part, piped and covered up over the past 50 to 60 years.  They flood with a minimal amount of rainfall.  When we get heavy rains, they blanket much of the area with up to a foot of water.  

I've never seen it get as bad as what we had Saturday though.  But 6 inches of rain in 3 hours isn't really something anyone can prepare for either.

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Mandatory evacuation starting 9/11 at noon for of all persons in the coastal counties of SC from Charleston to the SC/NC state line, including Horry Co. (Myrtle Beach/North Myrtle Beach).

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5 minutes ago, 1inStripes said:

I certainly hope we dont have a recreation of 77.  I wouldnt mind watching a game in the rain on Friday or Saturday though and possibly working one on Thursday.

I wasnt alive for this..but I've seen pics of water being at the bottom of skeetrock bridge in clintwood...whenever I pass under it on my boat...it just blows my mind to think about the difference in summer lake pool to what this was....mind blowing!!

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6 hours ago, GMan said:

Looks like they built the VB Furniture building over the creek as well...they were just asking for a flood.  The City of Bluefield has spent millions of $$$$ over the past couple of years fixing underground creek culverts along College Avenue in Bluefield.  That used to flood on just an inch or so of rain...hasn't flooded since they've built the new culverts.  I think the rain this weekend may put it to the ultimate test though...

Hey GMan I just saw a post on Facebook of College Avenue this evening. Looks like they got hammered this evening.

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15 hours ago, GMan said:

Looks like they built the VB Furniture building over the creek as well...they were just asking for a flood.  The City of Bluefield has spent millions of $$$$ over the past couple of years fixing underground creek culverts along College Avenue in Bluefield.  That used to flood on just an inch or so of rain...hasn't flooded since they've built the new culverts.  I think the rain this weekend may put it to the ultimate test though...

Well, we got the answer yesterday...waste of money...this is the exact area that was "fixed"...

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Speaking from experience, I wouldn't be so quick to judge the renovations that were made.  The issue could (and probably is) more attributed to lack of proper maintenance than poor design or construction.  Trash, leaves, and other debris clog up the inlets.  This chokes off the water's ability to follow designed channels for proper removal.  It's' likely (and probable) the engineers explained this in great detail while offering suggestions on how to properly maintain the area to limit this type of thing from happening.  It should also be noted, these systems are generally designed to withstand 10-year rain events.  Under normal circumstances, systems designed to those specifications are more than adequate.  Not to turn this into a political mindf&*k but, we receive what the EPA considers "10-year weather events" every 24 months and the frequency of those events have been rising sharply since the early 1990's.  As the name indicates, they are considered to be once a decade storms yet, they are now coming every 24 months.  

As is the case with most things of this nature, out-of-sight, out-of-mind plays a vital role.  I would be willing to bet, local maintenance crews and city officials aren't adequately keeping trash and other debris from clogging up the system.  I know that's a big part of the problem where I live.  When the water recedes, go back and look at the inlets.  My guess is, you will find a mound of trash and debris completely covering the inlets.  

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