City: Leaves will cause flooding issues - NBC12.com - Richmond, VA News

Richmond is planning to be hit hard by Sandy. Strong winds and rain could have devastating impacts on a city, which has had past problems responding to these kinds of disasters.

City workers met all day Friday to make sure they're ready for a storm expected to hit on Sunday when they're normally off. They say they can't do it alone; citizen preparation is essential.

"I just heard that it was going to be a bad one and it usually doesn't come this late," Church Hill resident Jeffrey Wang told us.

The leaves fall, covering the yards in beautiful autumn colors. It's fall in Central Virginia and now the part that many people love, could wreak havoc when combined with Mother Nature's wrath.

"The rain is not significant," says Emergency Management Coordinator Anthony McLean. "We're looking at four plus inches for Central Virginia. It's going to be the gusts and the heavy foliage that's going to do it."

Many people are saying "well, the storm is just going to bring down more leaves so why bother raking my yard and bagging up the debris." But, since drains are already clogged, the influx of leaves from your yard will leave the rain water nowhere to go and that could lead to widespread flooding.

So city officials want Richmonders to do what we spotted Jeffrey Wang taking care of Friday, which is two days before any storm impact.

"I've been in the habit of putting them in the garbage can," Wang explained. "So hopefully that will minimize the amount of blowing around it does."

McLean says emergency officials are passing along that kind of information to citizens, city council members and agency employees now.

"We need to communicate prior to Sunday so that when it does occur we all know exactly what we're going to be doing," McLean added.

The city is also making sure 311 call lines are staffed so the public can register complaints.

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