Four Things to Know for the Snow

Posted 12:45 p.m.

Current National Weather Service forecast as of 10:30 a.m.

A winter storm is coming our way. The map to the right from the National Weather Service shows the forecasted snow accumulations through Thursday morning. Depending on your location in the county – from Mount Vernon in the east to Chantilly in the west — accumulations may vary.

To prepare for the storm:

1.)    Power Outages: Be ready for power outages. The predicted heavy, wet snow and strong winds could lead to numerous outages.

• Report any power outages. You can find phone numbers for utility companies and other organizations on our emergency phone numbers page.
• Have a battery-operated radio.
• Get your phones and tablet devices charged. Be digitally prepared.
• Be ready with flashlights and extra batteries.
• Make alternative plans if you or a family member need power for medical purposes.

2.)    House Supplies: Get the supplies you need today while the weather is still calm. Get the basics you need for your household (expect long lines at grocery stores!), but especially focus on prescription or over-the-counter medicine you may need. Check in on neighbors or elderly friends who may need something.

3.)    Road Snow Removal: When the snow begins to fall, removal on most county roads is handled by the Virginia Department of Transportation. Keep an eye on its new snow plow map so you know the status of snow removal operations. VDOT is deploying 4,000 trucks in Northern Virginia; learn more about VDOT’s plan for Wednesday and why staying off the roads will be important.

4.)    How You Can Help With Snow Removal: Here are 10 tips to think about and plan for in your neighborhood to remove the snow. This snow will be very heavy to shovel, so older adults and those with heart conditions should seek help.

The National Weather Service also provided these best and worst case scenario maps:

 

 

County Operating Status for Jan. 28

Updated 6:25 a.m.

County Government Status

· Fairfax County Government offices will be open on time Monday, Jan. 28, however employees have been granted unscheduled leave. Emergency service personnel should report as scheduled. School Age Child Care (SACC) will open at 10 a.m.

· The Fairfax County Circuit Court, General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court are open with no unscheduled leave.

Parks, Community and Recreation and Community Centers

· If you have questions about Park Authority facilities, contact the site directly, call the Parks inclement weather line at 703-324-8661, TTY 711, or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks.

· For Department of Neighborhood and Community Services programs and events visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ncs or call 703-324-4600, TTY 711.

· The Reston Community Center and the McLean Community Center may be affected by the inclement weather. Call RCC at 703-476-4500, TTY 711, http://www.mcleancenter.org or MCC at 703-790-0123, TTY 711, www.mcleancenter.org for their current operating status.

Transportation: Connector, Fastran

· Fairfax Connector bus service may be affected by the inclement weather. Check the Connector Web page at www.fairfaxconnector.com for the current operating status.

· For information about FASTRAN, call 703-222-9764, press 8; TTY 711, or online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ncs/fastran.htm.

Libraries

· Library hours may be affected; call your local branch before visiting. For branch phone numbers, call 703-324-3100 or go towww.fairfaxcounty.gov/library.

View the public meetings calendar at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar/ShowCalendar.aspx for any potential cancellations of public meetings of Fairfax County government Boards, Authorities or Commissions.

County Operating Status for Jan. 24

Posted 4:42 a.m. // Updated 5:36 a.m.

County and School Status

·     Fairfax County Government offices are open today, – Jan. 24 –, however employees have been granted unscheduled leave. Emergency service personnel should report as scheduled.

·     All Fairfax County public schools will open two hours late today. All offices will open on time. School Age Child Care (SACC) centers will open on time.

·     UPDATED: The Fairfax County Circuit Court, General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court will open time today.

Parks, Community and Recreation and Community Centers

·     If you have questions about Park Authority facilities, contact the site directly, call the Parks inclement weather line at 703-324-8661, TTY 711, or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks.

·     For Department of Neighborhood and Community Services programs and events visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ncs or call 703-324-4600, TTY 711.

·     The Reston Community Center and the McLean Community Center may be affected by the inclement weather. Call RCC at 703-476-4500, TTY 711, www.restoncommunitycenter.com or MCC at 703-790-0123, TTY 711, www.mcleancenter.org for their current operating status.

Transportation: Connector, Fastran

·     Fairfax Connector bus service may be affected by the inclement weather. Check the Connector Web page atwww.fairfaxconnector.com for the current operating status.

·     For information about FASTRAN, call 703-222-9764, press 8; TTY 711, or online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ncs/fastran.htm.

Libraries

·     Library hours may be affected; call your local branch before visiting. For branch phone numbers, call 703-324-3100 or go towww.fairfaxcounty.gov/library.

View the public meetings calendar at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar/ShowCalendar.aspx for any potential cancellations of public meetings of Fairfax County government Boards, Authorities or Commissions.

Video: Presidential Inauguration Planning for Fairfax County

Even though the 57th Presidential Inauguration is located in the District of Columbia, Fairfax County emergency management, public safety and other county government personnel have been meeting and planning since mid-2012 for the event.

In the video below, Roy Shrout, deputy coordinator of the county’s Office of Emergency Management, explains some of the planning as well as how the county’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be used this weekend.

Activities for the 57th Presidential Inaugural will occur Sunday, Jan. 20, through Monday, Jan. 21, with the Inaugural ceremonies scheduled for Monday, Jan. 21. For more on the inauguration, visit http://inauguration.dc.gov/.

Occoquan Dam Siren Test at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13

Posted at 2:51 p.m.

At 10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13, there will be an audible test of a new warning siren system installed along the banks of the Occoquan River between the Town of Occoquan and Belmont Bay. 

This is only a test and is being conducted as part of an educational campaign to inform residents and business owners about the new siren system. For this test, you do NOT need to seek higher ground. Representatives from Fairfax Water, as well as officials from the town of Occoquan and Prince William and Fairfax counties will be in and around the town should residents have questions.

The Occoquan Dam Siren system exists to alert persons below the Occoquan Dam in the extremely unlikely event of a structural failure of the dam. If the siren sounds, residents, business owners and visitors inside the inundation zone should seek higher ground.

The inundation zone is a small area adjacent to the banks of the Occoquan River between the Town of Occoquan and Belmont Bay that will flood if the Occoquan Dam experiences a structural failure. The siren will only sound during testing of the system or if the Occoquan Dam fails in a non-weather-related event.

The siren has been installed for two reasons:

• Because of changing regulatory requirements, one of Fairfax Water’s regulatory agencies – the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission – suggested that a sound-related system be installed to inform people downstream of the dam in the extremely unlikely event of a dam structural failure.
• Communities closest to the dam, namely the Town of Occoquan, worked closely with Fairfax Water and felt that a siren system would be the most effective and desired form of communication to alert people. 

The siren project is a collaboration between Fairfax Water, the Town of Occoquan, Fairfax County and Prince William County.

For more information, visit www.occoquandamsiren.com/.

About the Occoquan Reservoir and Dam

Fairfax Water owns and operates the Occoquan Reservoir as a drinking water source for Northern Virginia. The Occoquan Dam was built in the early 1950s to create the Occoquan Reservoir that now holds approximately 8.3 billion gallons of water. The dam is inspected and maintained on a routine basis. The structural integrity of the Occoquan Dam is very sound. Rigorous maintenance and improvements to the dam have made it even stronger today than when it was constructed. The dam is approximately 72 feet tall and 70 feet wide at its widest point. It is anchored to the bedrock below the bottom of the dam and to the sides of the reservoir. It contains more than 100,000 cubic yards of mass concrete. That is equivalent to:

• 10,000 truckloads of concrete
• Approximately 400,000,000 pounds of concrete
• A concrete path that is 3 feet wide, 1 foot thick, and 6.3 miles long.

Dec. 2-8 is Winter Preparedness Week in Virginia

Posted at 1:15 p.m.

Governor Bob McDonnell has proclaimed Dec. 2-8 as Winter Preparedness Week in Virginia and is encouraging you to take time this week to prepare to protect yourself and your family in the event of any major winter storms in the months ahead.

We’ve been highlighting winter preparedness tips over the past couple of weeks here on this blog. Hopefully you’ve seen those tips and have taken action. If not, do so this week. And if you have, here’s a couple of additional steps to take:

• Get fireplaces and wood stove chimneys inspected and cleaned. These often build up creosote, which is the residue left behind by burning wood. Creosote is flammable and must be professionally removed.
• Install smoke detectors in every bedroom and one on every level of your home. Check the batteries every month. If you already have smoke detectors and did not replace the batteries when the time changed recently, replace them now.
• Gather emergency supplies. Start with these items:
  • At least three days of food that does not need refrigeration or electricity to prepare, in case the power is out.
  • At least three days of water, which is one gallon of water per day per family member.
  • A battery-powered and/or hand-crank radio and extra batteries.
  • Flashlights and extra batteries.
  • A first-aid kit and an extra supply of medications in case you can’t get out to get prescriptions refilled.

Get more details and a checklist at Ready Virginia, as well as Ready.gov and the emergency information page on the county website.

Thanksgiving Safety Tips

Posted at 11:12 a.m.

Thanksgiving means many things to different people — perhaps a day off from work, the start of the holiday shopping season or a time to gather the family and friends and enjoy each others’ company, along with some good home cooking.

Our Fire and Rescue Department reports that Thanksgiving Day is the busiest day for the fire service. More property damage and lives are lost in residential structure fires on Thanksgiving Day than any other day of the year due to cooking fires.

For many, Thanksgiving means cooking a turkey. A poplular way to prepare the turkey is to deep fry it. But deep frying does present several safety concerns.

When placing the turkey into the oven or turkey fryer, be extremely careful.

• Make sure the turkey is completely thawed before it is placed in a fryer.
• Never use a fryer on a wooden deck, under a patio cover, in a garage or enclosed space.
• Fryers should always be used outdoors, on a solid level surface a safe distance from buildings and flammable materials.
• Never let children or pets near the fryer when in use or after use as the oil can remain hot for hours.

Check out this video to see what can happen if your cooker is overfilled, and for additional safety tips for deep frying to keep your holiday safe.

If having a fried turkey is a must for Thanksgiving, consider purchasing a fried, cooked turkey from a commercial source. Many supermarkets and restaurants accept orders for fried turkeys during the holiday season.

Here are more cooking safety tips:

• Always use cooking equipment tested and approved by a recognized testing facility.
• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying or grilling food. If you leave the kitchen, turn off the stove.
• Keep anything that can catch fire–potholders, towels, or curtains away from the stovetop.
• Have a “kid-free zone” of at least three feet around the stove.
• Wear short, close fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking.
• Always keep an oven mitt and lid nearby when cooking.

You also can visit the Fire and Rescue Department online for more fire and seasonal life safety tips.

Document Damage from Hurricane Sandy for Potential Disaster Assistance

Posted 2:10 p.m.

Did your property suffer damage from Hurricane Sandy?

Then please visit our Disaster Damage Database and complete the form to officially document damage. We may share the disaster damage reports with the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and/or the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to evaluate what kind of federal disaster assistance could be made available to county residents who have suffered losses.

NOTE: Submission of disaster damages is not a requirement to apply for federal disaster assistance nor is it a promise that federal disaster assistance will be provided to cover damages from the hurricane, or any other disaster event when the online tool is used.

For more information about the Disaster Damage Database, emergency management or how you and your family can better prepare for emergencies, email the Office of Emergency Management or call 571-350-1000, TTY 711.

Virginia Task Force 1 in New Jersey

Posted 12:58 p.m.

As New Jersey and other states north of us recover from a more devastating blow from Hurricane Sandy than we received, our own first responders are there helping.

Virginia Task Force 1 — Fairfax County’s Urban Search and Rescue Team — was deployed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to Little Ferry, N.J., and participated in water rescues and evacuations Tuesday in an area where a levee broke. VATF-1 worked through the night with one team as well as the military.

This morning, the team was briefed by FEMA and they are in the planning stages for the next 24 hours.  The water has receded in the Little Ferry area and the team is now able to drive through the entire neighborhood with little difficulty. It was anticipated the team would finish with the neighborhood around noon today 

The 80-member team and four canines are doing well and members have been able to get some rest.

The team consists of firefighters, paramedics, search and rescue specialists, structural engineers, physicians, hazardous materials specialists, planning and logistical staff, and canines and handlers. In addition to its regular complement of equipment, the team will also deploy with two inflatable boats, and water rescue specialists.

As the federal sponsoring agency, FEMA pays for all costs and expenses incurred by VATF-1 when members are activated or undergo training. All training, equipment, and personnel costs of VATF-1 are paid for by the federal government on a regular basis, including its new training facility in Lorton. Additionally, when firefighters and members are deployed, there is no loss in emergency response or service to Fairfax County residents, as minimum staffing for all apparatus is continuous for all fire and rescue stations. The training and expertise gained by working with our federal partners in times of local, regional, national and international disasters and emergencies enhances and improves the skill sets of firefighters and paramedics. The skills gained from this partnership provides a direct benefit to county residents by using these skills in making Fairfax County a safer and better place to live and work.

Shelter and Emergency Operations Center Now Closed

Posted 11:11 a.m.

Fairfax County deactivated its Emergency Operations Center at 10 a.m. today.

The shelter at Lee District RECenter closed at 10 a.m.

If you have questions about the storm or cleanup, please call or email 703-FAIRFAX between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.:

• 703-FAIRFAX (703-324-7329)
• 703fairfax@fairfaxcounty.gov
• Or leave a comment below

Sandy By The Numbers (10 a.m.):

• 6,083 Dominion households and 286 NOVEC customers without power (2 percent of county)
• 52 roads closed – view list and map
• 13 traffic signals out
• 60 trees into homes

Emergency Hotline Closing at 6 p.m.

Posted 5:33 p.m.

The Fairfax County Emergency Information Hotline will be deactivated at 6 p.m. today, Tuesday, Oct. 30. We thank you for your questions and hope this was a helpful resource for those who called.

If you have questions about the storm and recovery tomorrow or beyond, please call 703-FAIRFAX (703-324-7329, TTY 711) or email 703fairfax@fairfaxcounty.gov. County government will be open regular hours tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m

Fairfax County Government Operating Status for Oct. 31

Posted 5:14 p.m.

• Fairfax County Government will be open Wednesday.
• Fairfax County Public Schools and offices will open on time. Individual schools that may have power outages will be reassessed in the morning. Parents are being asked to be patient as buses may need to work around road closures in some parts of the county and bus routes may be delayed. 
• Circuit Court, General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court will be open.
• Absentee Voting — Seven satellite locations with extended hours noon to 8 p.m. and at the Government Center with regular hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Suite 323.
• Trash Pickup — Regular schedule, including Tuesday customers. More information, including debris pick up.
• Halloween — Halloween is a community celebration, not something that Fairfax County Government plans or controls like some other jurisdictions around the country. Trick or treating generally occurs in our community Oct. 31. If trick or treating happens in your neighborhood, please be safe around any downed trees or other debris.

Absentee Voting Today, 4-8 pm; Extended Hours Wednesday

Posted 4:13 p.m.

The Fairfax County Electoral Board announced there will be absentee voting at the Government Center only today, Tuesday, Oct. 30 (not seven other satellite locations) from 4 to 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be able to absentee vote. Absentee voting will resume at the seven satellite locations tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 31 with extended hours noon to 8 p.m. and at the Government Center with regular hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Suite 323.

Additional information and absentee voting locations.

Storm By The Numbers

Posted 2:16 p.m. // Updated 2:57 p.m.

Here are the latest numbers from Hurricane Sandy:

• 42,893 Dominion households and approximately 1,000 NOVEC customers without power (11 percent of the county)
• 83 roads closed – view list
• 75 traffic signals out
• 58 trees into homes
• 31 public schools without power (updated 2:57 p.m.)
• 25 people in county shelter last night

County Trash Collection Update

Posted 1:54 p.m.

Residents in sanitary districts receiving trash and recycling collection service on Tuesdays from Fairfax County will be served on Wednesday, Oct. 31.

Residents on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday routes will receive trash and recycling collection service as normally scheduled. Please have trash and recycling containers to the curb by 6 a.m. on your collection day to ensure collection.

We anticipate there may be some delays in yard waste collection due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy. We will have crews working through the week and into the weekend (if necessary) to ensure that the material is collected. These delays will not affect the collection of trash and recycling.

Questions related to the county’s trash and recycling collection service within established sanitary districts may be directed to the Solid Waste Management Program at 703-802-3322, TTY 711. Residents receiving trash and recycling collection service from private service providers should contact them directly for information related to any collection schedule changes.