Several IW roads closed due to high water

Published 2:17 pm Sunday, August 16, 2020

Burwells Bay Road and Mill Swamp Road in Isle of Wight County are currently flooded, according to incident reports listed on the Virginia Department of Transportation’s 511 Virginia website.

VDOT warns that motorists should expect delays due to standing water  at Mill Swamp Road’s intersection with White Hill Trail and at its intersection with Jones Town Road. Parts of Old Stage Highway near Morgart’s Beach Road and the Orbit Road/Woodland Drive area are also impassible due to high water, as are parts of U.S. Route 460 in Windsor and Zuni.

An IWAlert message sent shortly after 8 a.m. Sunday morning also stated the bridges on Jones Town Drive were potentially in danger of flooding. Residents in that area were asked to leave the area immediately Sunday morning, or to stay at home until the floodwater receded.

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Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office reports its deputies had to rescue a driver Sunday morning from the flooding on Mill Swamp Road.

“Please use caution when driving the secondary roadways in the county,” the department stated via Facebook around 9 a.m. “Safety is our first priority and you cannot see what has happened to the roadway under the water.”

With a photo of Orbit Road, which appears to show a large sinkhole having developed in the road, the department stated on Facebook, “Here is a perfect example of why not to drive through water over a roadway. This hole would hold an entire car.”