Fearing Florence

The jury is out on how much Hurricane Florence will impact Rappahannock County, if at all, but nobody is taking any chances.

“With the ground already saturated, additional heavy rain and strong winds could result in widespread, prolonged power outages,” Rappahannock Electric Cooperative warned this week. “REC’s crews are mobilized and stand ready to respond as quickly and safely as they can.”

Meanwhile, numerous county government proceedings and events have either been canceled or postponed, including the Rappahannock Circuit Court docket for Friday. Also canceled unfortunately is the annual Rough Ride charity bicycle fundraiser. In addition, tonight’s [Thursday’s] Foothills Forum’s “after-hours” forum at Headmasters Pub and Saturday’s Kid Pan Alley “FunRaiser” are both postponed, with new dates to be announced shortly.

And hikers take note: Shenandoah National Park says it will close at noon today (Thursday) in anticipation of the unpredictable hurricane, although the latest forecasted track takes the monster storm further south and west than originally anticipated away from Virginia.

Rick Davis, the director of “Luther's Trumpet” scheduled for later this month at the outdoor Stone Hill Amphitheatre in Flint Hill, said he will be assessing the overall weather situation with playwright James Reston, Jr. and stage manager Megan Smith on Monday, when long-term effects of the hurricane are better known.

“At this point,” he said, “we’re full steam ahead and planning to launch the play as scheduled on September 22. We’re hoping Mother Nature will be kind and understanding.”

Remember to visit RappNews.com for any breaking county news associated with Florence.