CULPEPER, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – VDOT continues working with flooded roads, and has issued the following release about the current situation:

“The steady rain that has bedeviled Virginia over the past week continues today, and the Virginia Department of Transportation is reporting 29 secondary roads closed this morning in the Culpeper District. Several local school systems have either closed today or are on delays due to the rain and flooding. Fifteen roads in Albemarle County are closed, including three that are washed out and will need to be rebuilt. Another four roads in Greene County, three in Madison and Louisa counties, two in Orange and one each in Culpeper and Fluvanna counties, are also closed due to high water. A current list of road closures is on the 511 Virginia website at: Road Conditions Table VDOT crews are continuing to respond to reports of high water, closing roads as they are overtopped and reopening them when the water recedes after an inspection to ensure they are safe for travel. Other crews are beginning to restore the district’s unpaved roads, although the continuing rain has hampered those efforts. Once the rain stops the gravel roads will need to dry before equipment can scrape the shoulders and restore drainage ditches.

With VDOT and other agencies, including utility companies, responding to this weather emergency, VDOT cautions motorists to be alert for work crews. When approaching work zones please slow down, be alert for directional signs and other traffic controls, and if possible “Move Over” to give yourself and the work crew more space. VDOT urges everyone to stay weather aware by following local weather forecasts and adjusting travel plans based on the approaching storms and local conditions. If you have travel plans, check forecasts and conditions along your route. Southwest Virginia, especially, was hard hit by the storms and all roads are not passable at this time. Small streams can rise quickly and without warning due to heavy rain upstream. Two feet of water is enough to float most vehicles, including trucks and SUVs, and when a road is submerged a driver may not be able to tell whether the road is damaged or washed out. Don’t take chances with floodwaters: “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”

VDOT advises not to drive during storms but if you must be on the road, especially during overnight hours, drive with extreme caution. And in all bad weather, state law in Virginia is “Wipers On, Headlights On.” Never drive around barricades, even if the water is down and the road appears passable since there may be damage that is not immediately apparent. For questions or to report hazardous road conditions, contact VDOT’s 24-hour Customer Service Center by visiting my.vdot.virginia.gov or calling 800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623). Current traffic conditions and other real-time travel information are available on the 511Virginia.org website and the free VDOT 511 mobile app, or by calling 511 from any phone in Virginia. Culpeper District updates are on the district’s Facebook page and the district’s X (formerly Twitter) account, @VaDOTCulp.