WYTHE COUNTY, Va. – Multiple roadways in Wythe County have been closed due to flooding, as anywhere from 3 to 5 inches of rain have already fallen in the locality and weather forecasters are predicting additional precipitation throughout Monday and into the night which may bring an additional 1 to 2 inches.

In Wythe County, the heaviest hit areas are in the locality’s southeastern section, near the New River and its various tributaries. According to USGS data, Reed Creek at Graham’s Forge is discharging 5,690 cubic feet per second (its regular discharge rate is roughly 269 cubic feet per second).

The heavy rainfall has rendered several roads impassable in the county, including the following:

Apperson Dr. – Closed by VDOT
Castleton Rd. has standing water in the roadway (south of Moyer Ln.)
Collins Cove is impassable
Holly Ln. – impassable due to high water
Huffard Ln. is closed
Little Reed Island Rd. – impassable 600 block and beyond
Max Meadows Rd. is closed near recycling center
Moyer Ln. – impassable due to high water
Mule Hell is closed
New Bethel Rd. is closed
Painters Hill Rd. (near 669 Painters Hill Rd.) — highwater
Peridot Ln.
Pope Rd. (Prior to Collins Cove Rd., coming from Huddle) is closed
Ramsey Mountain Rd. – Closed by VDOT
River Bluff – impassable due to high water
Riverview Rd. (near 159 Riverview Rd.) — highwater
Shady River Dr. – impassable due to high water

The county’s emergency management team is maintaining a list of impassable roads in order to better assist emergency responders, therefore if any residents know of any additional roadways that are impassable, they are encouraged to call 911 and notify the county’s dispatchers.

County officials say that at this time, there have been no known injuries and they hope to keep it this way – “The vast majority of flood-related drownings are vehicle-related,” stated Wythe County spokesperson Jeremy Farley. “Citizens are being encouraged to make wise decisions and not to take needless risks. If a motorist comes upon a flooded roadway, ‘turn around, don’t drown’.”

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WYTHE COUNTY, Va. – The Wythe County Board of Supervisors has scheduled a public hearing to receive feedback from the public regarding a proposal to move the Rural Retreat voting precinct location from the Rural Retreat Fire Department to the Rural Retreat Community Center.

Though the move is only 50 yards, the Code of Virginia requires the Board of Supervisors to conduct a public hearing prior to voting on the proposed change.

Representatives from the county’s electoral board say the move is necessary in order to provide greater accessibility for individuals who may have certain handicaps and that the community center was selected because it is the building closest to the fire department.

The public hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 11, 2017, at 7:05 p.m. in the Board Room of the Wythe County Office Building, located at 340 S. Sixth St., Wytheville, Virginia.

The National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Virginia, is closely monitoring the skies in Southwestern Virginia, as the threat of severe thunderstorms is possible for most of our region throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

At 10:35 this morning, the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, issued a severe thunderstorm watch for 50 Virginia counties, including Wythe and all of its neighboring localities.  The watch is valid until 5 p.m.

According to the Weather Service, “Possible threats include damaging wind gusts up to 70 MPH, isolated hail, and a chance for tornadoes.”

County residents are encouraged to monitor local local news and/or weather radio for urgent weather updates from local officials.

This same line of storms is responsible for causing excessive damage in portions of Kentucky and West Virginia.

VDEM’s Emergency Operations Center is at Condition Yellow (Increased Readiness) and is coordinating with U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) to monitor the storm’s impact on Virginia.

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WYTHE COUNTY, Va. – Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced more than $4.0 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for nine Virginia localities, including $359,695 for the County of Wythe.

“I’m pleased to announce funding for ten projects that leverage Community Development Block Grant funding to invest in critical infrastructure,” said Governor McAuliffe. “These projects will help create new jobs and economic opportunities in the communities that receive them. By focusing on infrastructure, downtown revitalization and housing rehabilitation, we are helping communities across the Commonwealth make life better for the people they serve.”

The funding Wythe County has been granted will be used to extend an 8” sewage line to Lot 20 in Progress Park – serving Branch Botanicals, Inc., a planned manufacturing facility that will extract cherry oils for commercial markets.

The company spent $573,445 to acquire the land at Progress Park and is expected to make a capital investment of $21 million in facility construction and equipment.

Additionally, Branch Botanicals has signed an agreement with Wythe County to employ at least 40 persons in the locality within three years.

“Today’s announcement by the Governor is great news for the people of Wythe County, as it means we can move forward with a project that will create a number of high-paying private-sector jobs,” said Wythe County Board of Supervisors Chairman Tim Reeves, adding, “With each new jobs announcement and multi-million dollar investment, we’re sending a message around the world that Virginia and Wythe County are open for business.”

According to most current estimates, approximately 1,000 people work in Wythe County’s Progress Park.

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The National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Virginia, is forecasting “mountain upslope snow showers” tonight and early Friday, with the greatest amounts of snowfall to occur north of Bluefield in the West Virginia highlands.

For the most part, residents in eastern Wythe County are expected to be spared from significant accumulation, with NWS officials forecasting less than an inch of accumulation for Wytheville and communities to the east.

On the other hand, places west of the county-seat, such as Rural Retreat, Crockett and Speedwell, may see snowfall amounts closer to two inches.

In addition to the snowfall and strong cold front that will  cross through the region Thursday, a quick surge in west winds will accompany the front with gusts to 50 mph or stronger possible.

“Much colder air following the front will combine with an increasing pressure gradient to keep periods of very strong northwest winds going tonight into Friday,” stated the National Weather Service in a wind advisory issued early Thursday morning.

The National Weather Service is advising that strong winds could topple trees and power lines, leading to potential power outages through the region.

Due to the threat of potential power outages, the county is urging its citizens to be prepared by having safe alternative heat sources in place, an emergency preparedness kit which includes a flashlight, batteries, etc., and fully charged cell phones.

The weather service is also encouraging residents to be mindful of their holiday decorations, which could be blown away during the increased windstorm expected over the next 24 hours.