VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach residents were reporting power outages and coastal flooding Tuesday as the city got over 7 inches of rain in a day, according to city officials.
Virginia Beach City Public Schools says all schools and offices will operate on a two-hour delay Wednesday, following the heavy rainfall and power outages the day before.
The coastal flooding and heavy rain had widespread impacts across Hampton Roads on Tuesday. News 3's Chief Meteorologist David Aldrich said between 4-8 inches of rain had fallen in Virginia Beach and parts of Norfolk on Tuesday alone as of 6:30 p.m. Chesapeake got nearly 4 inches, and Portsmouth, Williamsburg, and Newport News had around 2.5 inches.
Around 10:30 p.m., rain totals reached 7.54 inches in the Resort City.
Watch related coverage: Coastal flooding impacts the Hague in Norfolk
Virginia Beach officials said they have experienced more rain than expected, as thousands of homes and businesses were left without power.
"We understand the frustration and challenges this rain-induced flooding has caused for our community, especially in our low-lying areas," officials said.
The new Windsor Woods Tide Gate had five temporary pumps working to lower Lake Windsor, officials said. These pumps are not strong enough to deal with the impacts of heavy rain.
"For example, the recently installed Windsor Woods Tide Gate currently has five temporary pumps in place to help lower Lake Windsor. However, during heavy rain events like this, those pumps don’t have the full capacity needed. The City has a project underway to replace these temporary pumps with a permanent, larger pump station that will provide more protection in future storms," officials said.
