Local power crews helping up North

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) - Dominion Virginia Power crews are heading North to help in the aftermath of an anticipated blizzard.

The local crews, from Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk and Ahoskie, will be providing assistance to 1st Energy in the Morristown, NJ area for approximately two weeks, according to Dominion Virginia Power spokeswoman Bonita Harris.

"There is usually a lot of wire down, broken poles, trees down from all the weight," said Shawn Woyer, a lineman who has been on similar trips in the past.

DVA crews left Hampton Roads Friday morning with heavy equipment and extra gear to keep themselves warm.

While they were packing, heavy rain fell across Hampton Roads, stranding drivers and making for a slow morning commute.

One woman told WAVY.com she waited for the rain to stop, but was surprised by the strength of the wind.

"When you come around the corner there, the wind was kind of upping the hat right in the face," said Barbara Maloney, holding onto her hat. "I pull it down, so it stays pretty much."

Maloney says she is thinking of friends in the northeast, who are bracing for several feet of snow.

"It's a great feeling to get people power," said Woyer. "Especially when they thank you."

From New York into northern New England, residents are bracing for what could be a historic blizzard. The snow is already falling in some areas, and by the time it's over, there could be up to three feet on the ground in Boston and elsewhere. New York City could get a foot. Schools are closed, and airlines have already canceled thousands of flights through Saturday.

Before making its way up the east coast, the same storm system passed through the Hampton Roads area in the overnight and early morning hours Friday, bringing moderate rain and winds.