CULPEPER, Va. — Culpeper County, Virginia Emergency Services says it evacuated nearly 50 people from floodwaters threatening homes Thursday night. The storm dropped several inches of water each hour.
Waterlogged floors, ruined clothes, the danger of mildew, are what remain in the rooms at the Sleepy Hollow Motel and neighboring mobile home park.
Shanika Davenport is one of 50 residents rescued by Culpeper County firefighters now left wondering what’s next.
"Stressed. And I’m nervous. I don’t know what I’m going to do next with my son. He’s one year old. It’s hard. It’s hard being a single mom and trying to raise him and then go through this. It’s stressful. I cried last night because ... because I didn’t know what I was going to do," said Davenport.
A nearby creek is dammed up with debris. A flood several months ago came close, but not enough to cause damage. Residents and Culpeper councilmember Jon Russell blame the flooding on a bridge blocking the surging stormwater.
"A lot of this is drainage issues. It’s stormwater issues. We have a hundred-year-old stormwater system and we continue to develop out," said Russell.
Culpeper’s drainage challenges are apparent while looking at continuing flooding at Yowell Meadow Park hours after the storm.
"We need to have a serious conversation with the Army Corp of Engineers about dredging the creek and making it deeper and being able to get the water out of town quicker," added Russell.
Sleepy Hollow residents are staying at nearby Quality Inn through the weekend paid for by Sleepy Hollow motel. It’s next week that has these people on edge.
"We’re there, they don’t know what’s going to be next, so that’s what scares me too," said Davenport.