Flood Stage Change at Fredericksburg City Dock

...FLOOD STAGE TO CHANGE AT FREDERICKSBURG CITY DOCK ON OR ABOUT
DECEMBER 2ND 2015...

THE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE AND THE
VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT...IN COLLABORATION
WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS...HAVE RECENTLY COMPLETED A STUDY OF FLOOD
LEVELS ON THE RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER AT AND NEAR THE CITY DOCK IN
FREDERICKSBURG VIRGINIA. THE SITE ID IS FEDV2.

DURING SEVERAL RECENT HIGH WATER EVENTS...IMPACTS WERE OBSERVED IN
THE FREDERICKSBURG AND FALMOUTH AREAS AT RIVER STAGES BELOW THE
EXISTING FLOOD STAGE. THIS PROMPTED THIS CHANGE IN FLOOD
CATEGORIES...WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE EFFECT ON WEDNESDAY
DECEMBER 2ND 2015.

THE ACTION STAGE...CURRENTLY SET AT 10 FEET...WILL DROP TO 7 FEET.
ACTION STAGE IS DEFINED AS A LEVEL AT WHICH SOME INTERESTS NEAR
THE RIVER WILL NEED TO TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT PROPERTY.
SPECIFICALLY...THE FREDERICKSBURG CITY DOCK ITSELF BEGINS TO BE
INUNDATED AT AROUND THIS LEVEL.

THE FLOOD STAGE...CURRENTLY SET AT 18 FEET...WILL DROP TO 13 FEET.
AT 13 FEET...WATER ENTERS THE BASEMENT OF A HOME NEAR CITY DOCK
AND OLD MILL PARK IS FLOODED TO THE POINT OF NEEDING TO BE CLOSED.

THE MODERATE FLOOD LEVEL...CURRENTLY SET AT 22 FEET...WILL DROP TO
18 FEET. AT 18 FEET...WATER IS IN HOMES AT CITY DOCK IN
FREDERICKSBURG.

THE MAJOR FLOOD LEVEL...CURRENTLY SET AT 30 FEET...WILL DROP TO 26
FEET. AT 26 FEET...SEVERAL BUILDINGS ARE FLOODED IN FREDERICKSBURG
AND WATER LEVELS ARE COMPARABLE TO THE FLOOD OF SEPTEMBER 1996...
WHICH WAS THE SIXTH HIGHEST ON RECORD.

TO RECAP...AT FREDERICKSBURG CITY DOCK...
ACTION STAGE.....WAS 10 FEET...WILL BE  7 FEET.
FLOOD STAGE......WAS 18 FEET...WILL BE 13 FEET.
MODERATE FLOOD...WAS 22 FEET...WILL BE 18 FEET.
MAJOR FLOOD......WAS 30 FEET...WILL BE 26 FEET.

THESE CHANGES DO NOT AFFECT THE FORECAST POINT UPSTREAM ABOVE
FREDERICKSBURG...SITE ID FDBV2. AT THAT LOCATION...THE FLOOD STAGE
IS 13 FEET ALREADY...AND IT WILL NOT CHANGE. AT THAT LEVEL...
WATER ENTERS A BUILDING AT A BUSINESS UPSTREAM OF FREDERICKSBURG
AND FALL HILL ROAD IS FLOODED NEAR LAUCK ISLAND IN THE CITY. THE
BREAKPOINT BETWEEN THE TWO FORECAST POINTS IS ROUTE 1 IN THE CITY
OF FREDERICKSBURG.

IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS FLOOD STAGE
CHANGE...PLEASE CONTACT...
JASON ELLIOTT
SENIOR SERVICE HYDROLOGIST
NWS BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON
JASON.ELLIOTT AT NOAA.GOV