James River at flood stage, people urged to stay out of the water

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Richmond City leaders are urging residents to stay out of the James River.

This comes after the National Weather Service issued a flood warning until Tuesday afternoon. The river doesn’t often go to flood stage in summer, and when it does, it can catch people off guard.

A flood in winter can go relatively unnoticed, but in summer, so many people plan to cool off with trips on the water that it can be deadly.

You can watch the James River live on the RVA Osprey Cam. From this view, you can see that even though the water is high, you can safely view it from the T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge. City officials don’t want you in it, but safely watching the flood is totally fine.

The high water is being driven by tropical downpours from over the weekend. This graphic shows measured river levels in Blue, with the forecast in Purple. A quick drop below flood stage is expected this evening. But river levels will still be too high for non-experts for the next few days. Click here for an updated graphic

Excessive amounts of debris in the water will make water rescues extremely difficult, which could put safety crews’ lives in danger. Please be safe. Here’s why the river level is so high. 4-7″ Rain (radar-estimated) fell near Lynchburg, which is on the river about 100 miles West of Richmond.

The following areas will be closed due to the flooding:

• Water Street at Dock Street
• Sections of Riverside Drive and River Road
• Huguenot Flatwater
• The Capital Bike Trail

Here’s a closer look at what you can expect.

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