Flooding causes traffic snarls, water rescues in Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Heavy rains in portions of Virginia stopped traffic on interstate highways and led to a number of water rescues, officials said.

A storm moving through the Richmond area dropped nearly 3 inches of rain in one hour. The Richmond Fire Department responded to eight calls in less than an hour on Thursday for vehicles trapped in high water, news outlets reported Thursday.

A flash flood warning was in effect until Thursday evening.

Earlier in the afternoon, the Virginia Department of Transportation reported all lanes of Interstate 95/64 were shut down for a time and motorists were advised to expect delays. In less than an hour, the highway had been reopened to traffic.