Manassas Park Largely Unaffected by Heavy Rains, Flooding

While parts of neighboring Prince William County are experiencing the effect of this week’s deluge, Manassas Park so far is unaffected by the rains.

 No areas of the city experienced flooding or damage this week, Manassas Park Public Works Director James “Jay” Johnson said Tuesday afternoon.

 Public works teams perform inspections before rain events to ensure the city’s drainage systems are working, he added.

 Areas of the city, such as the have rain gardens which prevent flooding and are a part of the city’s storm water management plan.

are man-made impressions in the ground designed to collect rainwater. There are five such gardens just outside of the community center.

 The five gardens are arranged like stairsteps, each a little lower than the next  so when one garden fills, the water flows through an intake pipe to the next garden and so on until the water reaches a rocky ditch at the back of the property. From there, the water is disseminated from the area.

 The National Weather Service issued a flood watch in Prince William County and Manassas Park Tuesday night in anticipation of more rains moving through the area.

 Authorities closed many roads in western Prince William County Tuesday, most of them in the Nokesville, Bristow and Haymarket areas, according to Insidenova reports.

 The heavy rains created sinkholes in several roadways in the county, many of them still in need of repair by officials.