NORFOLK, Va. — The Willoughby neighborhood of Norfolk was hit hard by this past weekend's storm. On Tuesday, debris was still scattered throughout the area, and standing water remained, but neighbors reported that conditions were much worse on Monday.
In and around the streets of the Ocean View area, homes were being drained, garages aired out, and residents began the cleanup after a mix of Sunday’s storm and the King Tide turned their properties into “on-the-water” real estate.
Neighbors told News 3 they were unable to get out, with cars stuck and some even stalling in the water. Richard Veaux, who lives on Little Bay Avenue, said he tried to prepare as much as he could, but water still made its way into his basement.
“It was close to two feet of water in there because it sits a little lower in the back. I had almost two feet of sandbags back there, and the water went over them,” Veaux said.
Carl Dodd, who lives right across the street from Richard, spent most of Monday getting the water out of his backyard and repairing the damage caused by the wake.
“The worst of it was sightseers driving through, creating a big wake that splashed up to my house,” Dodd said. “It blew out my fence, and people just couldn't get out. They had to walk through knee-deep water.”
Dodd noted that the water was so high that it obscured the road, and unfortunately, one neighbor fell through a hole in the ground where a cable box was missing its top.
“He helped me mark it off so nobody else would step into the hole,” Dodd said.
The water did not clear out until Monday evening, Dodd added. He mentioned that the city has installed a temporary pump at the end of his street but expressed a desire for a more permanent solution.
“This is an engineering problem that needs to be corrected,” he said.
News 3 reached out to the city to inquire about potential solutions and was told they are contacting Public Works for more information.
We will keep you updated on any developments.
