Flood waters trap vehicles in underpass

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) - Two vehicles got stuck in deep flood waters on Main Street in Newport News Saturday.

Rain water from Saturday morning's storms quickly rose underneath an overpass. At one point, residents say the water was 10 or 12 feet deep in the middle.

A dive team responded to make sure no one was still trapped inside the vehicles, which were pointed in opposite directions. WAVY.com was told the occupants got out safely.

"I drive this road all the time," said Brent Julien, who was visiting a friend in the area. "It's my cut through to get to Jefferson. But, not today. I need my boat!"

Neighbors on both sides of the road brought cameras and friends to see the flooded area.

"I've heard about it happening before, but I didn't think it would actually happen," said Sean Nix, a passerby. "Especially since everything else is dried up."

Residents say they have not seen that amount of water in the underpass since Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

"In Hurricane Floyd, we had 17 inches of rain in three days," said Sandra Joyce. "Today we had nine inches in our bucket."

It's not clear when Main Street will reopen. Drivers should plan to use an alternate route Sunday.