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Joaquin a No Show, Responders Relieved

It now appears that Hurricane Joaquin will stay well off the coast of Virginia and other eastern states, but local residents and first responders are still on guard, with substantial rainfall expected through the weekend.  Sandy Hausman has details.

With steady rain today and a forecast for more of the same, a flash flood watch remains in effect for much of our listening area with gusty winds expected for the next 24 hours.  First responders like Mike Rabin – a volunteer firefighter from Crozet – remain on alert.

"We keep a close eye on the weather all the time to prepare as needed. We sharpen chainsaws and things like that, just in case.  So how have things been today.  It's been pretty quiet.  I guess everyone’s home watching the weather."

He’s trained to respond to the worst conditions, but he’s not disappointed to hear Hurricane Joaquin will not come ashore.  In fact, he summed up his sentiments with a single word.

"Relieved!"

For Dick Cabella and his wife Hayden there is also some relief.  They opened the Inn at Sugar Hollow in Albemarle County twenty years ago and soon found themselves in the midst of a hurricane.

"It’s just like dating girls in high school.  You always remember your first.  Fran is the one that came through Wilmington and Raleigh and then right to us and we got about nine inches of rain in about eight hours."

Nearby, the Moorman’s River overflowed, blocking the road and stranding guests.  Cabell says it could happen again.

"It looks like on this particular storm the amount of rain that’s coming toward us is not going to be an issue until probably Sunday.  If it rains on the high side of the estimates through the weekend, by Sunday night and Monday morning the road will be flooded."

And if that happens, there’s not much to do but wait.

"We go down there and we say prayers."

All ten rooms at the inn are occupied with guests for a wedding set to take place at a nearby winery tomorrow.  The groom’s daughter, Kea Vassallo, says the happy couple is still hopeful – glad Joaquin will not be a guest.

"I was with them over the week, and the bride was worried it would spoil the day, but the hurricane is apparently blowing off."

And guest Bill Kennish, who drove in from Newport News, is taking the weather in stride.

"I’ve seen a lot worse, so I'm not exactly worried about the weather."

Officials drained the Sugar Hollow reservoir to fill a new one for Charlottesville, leaving plenty of room for rain.

The inn has a generator, the pantry is well stocked, and there’s one other reason to celebrate. Charlottesville’s original reservoir is just up the road.  The water authority recently completed a new dam and drained Sugar Hollow to fill it, so there’s plenty of room here for precipitation.  I’m Sandy Hausman.

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