Culpeper officials ready for Hanna, worried about Ike

By Rhonda Simmons

Published: September 4, 2008

Culpeper doesn’t have to batten down the hatches just yet, but the county has equipped residents with essential information in case Tropical Storm Hanna slams into the area this weekend.

“We’re watching it very closely,” said Tom Williams, the county’s Department of Emergency Services director. “The most we’ll get is two or three inches of much-needed rain out of this particular event.”

Jackie Hale of the National Weather Service expects Hanna to deliver lots of rain, tropical storm-force winds and thunderstorms to Virginia’s coastal area on Saturday.

According to the county’s emergency/disaster plan, residents are encouraged to obtain the six storm staples: water, canned food, manual can opener, flashlight, batter-operated radio and extra batteries in the home just in case the power goes out.

Forecasts show Hanna is expected to hit the southeast coast late tonight, drenching the Carolinas.

And while Hanna is likely to affect our region, Williams said the storm to watch out for is Hurricane Ike, which rapidly developed into a Category 4 in the Atlantic Ocean. Forecasters predict that Ike will reach the Bahamas this weekend, then Cuba and Florida by next week.

Experts believe Hanna may cause coastal flooding, and there is a possibility of tornadoes and power outages. Rappahannock Elective Cooperative encourages its customers to prepare for the loss of electricity.

“If outages do occur, REC will work to restore power as quickly and safely as possible,” said Ann Lewis, REC director of public relations. “With the safety of our customers and employees our primary focus, the cooperative asks everyone to be patient during our restoration efforts. … REC recommends you prepare as if you were going on a camping trip.”

As far as Culpeper County Public Schools and their activities, spokeswoman Marla McKenna said there were no cancellations as of late Thursday afternoon.

Saturday’s games for the Culpeper Football Association are also scheduled to be played, and the 30th annual Old Dominion Horse Show is still set for Saturday at Commonwealth Park.