RICHMOND, Va. -- The Richmond Fire Department (RFD) said it will have an additional water rescue team in anticipation of the remnants of Hurricane Ian's arrival.
"They're going to be staffing an additional water rescue company," said Engine 13 & Water Rescue 2 Lt. Kevin Knight. "We have our normal Water Rescue One, Water Rescue Two, and Water Rescue Three, as well as they're working on staffing for one additional to be stood up to be able to respond to any water emergencies in the city."
"Anytime there's a high rate of rainfall in a short amount of time, there's the possibility for several issues to occur."
Knight said the two primary concerns for the department are increased water levels on the James River and standing or flood waters on city streets.
"Unless you're an experienced paddler and you have done high water before, we highly recommend staying out of the river," said Knight of the first concern.
As for flooding on city streets, Knight said whether you encounter it on foot or while driving do not enter the water. If you recall, the water rescue teams pulled 19 people from high water during flash flooding in June 2021.
"Especially in urban areas where we have those features like gutters, manhole covers, culvert pipes, and even barriers on the side of roadways, even cars or any debris can turn into areas that can get people in significant trouble," said Knight. "Common features and roadways such as gutters, manhole covers, culvert pipes, even barriers on roadways or cars can become issues for both bodily injury and even death."
Knight adds that while you think the water may only be a few inches deep, it could be much more.
"It's very deceiving. So cars sometimes try to drive through these areas and don't realize that it's in fact two-, three-, four-, six-, sometimes eight-feet deep in certain areas in the city," said Knight, who added along with dangers -- the water just is not clean. "It's not simply rainwater. It's rainwater mixed with everything else that comes in contact within the city. So, we've got trash, chemicals, fuels, sewage, all of that is makes the water not worth getting into."
He said if you do find yourself trapped by flood waters, for whatever reason, get to the highest ground possible (even the hood of your car) and call for help as soon as you can. But, again, he encourages people to not put themselves in a bad situation.
"Turn around, don't drown. The time you save isn't worth the problems that you could occur from doing so," added Knight.
