City of Alexandria Continues to Recover from June 29 Storm Damage

City of Alexandria Continues to Recover from June 29 Storm Damage

The City of Alexandria continues to be in a state of emergency following severe storms on June 29.  Dominion Virginia Power reports that approximately 23,000 customers in Alexandria are still without power.  Although Dominion does not have an estimate of when power will be restored to all customers, the City encourages residents and businesses to plan for the potential that power may not be restored for several days.

Government Operations and Facilities

Alexandria City Government will be open during normal business hours on Monday, July 2.  All City facilities normally open to the public (including offices, recreation centers, libraries, and pools) will be open during their normal hours, except that the following facilities are still without power and will be closed until further notice:

• Flora Krause Casey Health Center (1200 N. Howard St.)
• Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library (4701 Seminary Rd.)
• Patrick Henry Recreation Center (4643 Taney Ave.)
• William Ramsey Recreation Center / Jerome "Buddy" Ford Nature Center (5650 Tanger Ave.)

Employees who are addressing problems from storm-related damage may take unscheduled leave; however, all essential employees are expected to report to work on time.  There are no Alexandria City Public Schools programs in session this week.  Other programs using school facilities have been notified of facility status.

Extreme Heat and Cooling Centers

The National Weather Service predicts that daily high temperatures this week will exceed 90 degrees, and may feel even hotter due to high humidity.  City facilities are available as cooling centers for those in need.  All recreation centers, libraries, and pools are open during normal hours except the locations listed above.

If the power goes out, it is important to take careful precautions to ensure food safety. For food safety tips, see www.alexandriava.gov/Storm .

Solid Waste Collection

Trash and recycling will be collected on a normal schedule during the week of July 2, including the Independence Day Holiday on July 4.  City crews will be collecting tree debris from the curb and public rights-of-way over the next week. The City has temporarily relaxed some of the normal requirements for removal of tree debris on private property. If you remove tree debris on your property, place the items on the curb in pieces that you can safely handle. Please use care when removing large trees and other debris.  If a professional tree removal contractor is hired, the contractor is required to remove all debris from the site.

Phone Numbers

• In an emergency, call 9-1-1.  Please do not call 9-1-1 to report a power outage or for any non-emergency purpose.
• To report a power outage, a downed power line, or a tree in a power line, call Dominion Virginia Power at 866.366.HELP (866.366.4357).
• To report a downed tree or damage to a home or business with no power line involved, call703.746.4488 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• For heat-related questions and general questions about City services, call 703.746.4800between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Streets and Traffic

Some neighborhood streets remain blocked due to downed trees or power lines.  Some traffic signals remain without power.  Drivers should use caution, stay alert, and treat any intersection with dark traffic signals as a four-way stop.

Recreation Programs

All City recreation and camp programs will operate this week as scheduled, except that the Out of School Time Summer Programs located at William Ramsay, John Adams, and Patrick Henry Recreation Centers will be relocated.  Participants should be dropped off at and picked up from the original program locations, because relocation will not occur if power is restored overnight.

• William Ramsay will move to Charles Houston Recreation Center (901 Wythe St.).  Participants may be dropped off at William Ramsay between 7 a.m. and 9:30 am., and will be returned to William Ramsay at 6 p.m.
• John Adams will move to Cora Kelly Recreation Center (25 W. Reed Ave.). Participants may be dropped off at John Adams between 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., and will be returned to John Adams at 6 p.m.
• Patrick Henry will move to Mt. Vernon Recreation Center (2701 Commonwealth Ave.).  Participants may be dropped off at Patrick Henry between 7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., and will be returned to Patrick Henry at 6 p.m.

More Information

For continued updates, see www.alexandriava.gov/Storm and follow the City on social media atwww.alexandriava.gov/Twitter and www.alexandriava.gov/Facebook .