VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — As Hampton Roads prepares for winter weather this week, Virginia Beach's Swift Water Rescue Team is returning from Southwest Virginia today. They spent the weekend assisting a community impacted by flooding.
Last Thursday, the Virginia Beach Fire Department's Swift Water Rescue Team was deployed to Southwest Virginia to help those affected by heavy rain and flooding around Richlands, an area that was impacted by Hurricane Helene last fall.
Rainfall over the weekend caused creeks and rivers to overflow, damaging communities like Richlands, where the Clinch River reached its 100-year flood mark.
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This means there’s a one in 100 chance that the river could reach this elevation in any given year.
“The Clinch River is considered to be at major flood status when it hits 15 feet, and we were right at anywhere between 15 and 18 feet,” said Capt. Dillon Dextradeur of the Virginia Beach Fire Department.
Members of the Swift Water Rescue Team were out in full force, helping in any way they could.
In just a few hours, they made five life-saving rescues and conducted 25 evacuations.
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“Everyone was very thankful. I think this river crested so quickly that it caught a lot of people off guard. We were able to get everyone out to a safe area and then into shelters,” Dextradeur added.
Meanwhile, as those communities continue to recover ahead of potential winter weather later this week, Gov. Glenn Youngkin has submitted an expedited emergency disaster declaration to support relief efforts.
The Swift Water Rescue Team is expected to return to Virginia Beach just after 5 p.m. Monday.
