Manassas Readies for Bad Weather

Officials from the city's various departments joined the city manager and staff Thursday morning in a special meeting to ensure that standard emergency operating procedures and processes are in place and ahead of Hurricane Irene.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the entire Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area.  Our area is also under a flash flood watch.

The Manassas City Council adopted a resolution confirming the declaration of a State of Emergency for the City of Manassas in a special session on Thursday August 25th.

Public Works crews are checking water ways such as pipes and storm sewers to ensure they are clear. The city's electric department will also have tree-trimming crews in place in the event a strong wind gust takes down limbs or trees.

Mike Moon, director for the city's Public Works Department, said the city has already lowered the storm management ponds to prevent swelling and overflow from the additional 1-3 inches of rain expected late Saturday into early Sunday.

The city is also looking to staff Emergency Operating Centers as needed.

Manassas City Deputy Electric Director Gregg Paulson said the city does a good job in working together and ensuring that all departments retain employees for the weekend to staff the emergency command centers located throughout the city.

Manassas City Manager Larry Hughes said the centers will be minimally staffed unless more support is needed. The city will be capable of staffing the center at levels seen during the Sesquicentennial events, but this is not likely.

City departments have been practicing their emergency preparedness and operating processes and procedures for most of the week.

The biggest concern during a storm that packs high winds and levels of rainfall is power outages and flooding.

Paulson said the city does not expect a high number of outages because 85 percent of power lines are underground. The big issue for the city is if supplier Dominion Power suffers damage to transmission lines that may have already been impacted by the earthquake.

Fortunately, the city has its own back up generation fleet and employees are working to make sure it has enough fuel and will be ready to go in the event of failed transmission lines.  

Manassas is built on a hill and any flooding that may occur would likely be south of the city. 

Still, Public Works Director Mike Moon said residents should be prepared by making sure their basement sump pumps are working and drains clear. He said the city's water main pumping station works on a back up generator in case the power does go out.

Prince William County Hospital also runs on its own generation should a transmission fail.

According to the National Weather Service, tropical storm conditions are possible for Manassas as early as Saturday afternoon as Irene barrels closer to the area.  For Saturday, wind gusts as high as 37 are possible and a quarter and half an inch of rain is expected.

The worst of the storm is expected to be here late Saturday night into early Sunday morning. Again, tropical storm conditions are possible during this time. Expect wind gusts as high as 47 mph and new rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches.