This Day in Henrico History: Sept. 16 – Hurricane Floyd forces an early public-safety radio switch

On Sept. 16, 1999, Hurricane Floyd swept through the Richmond region, leaving fallen trees, flooded roads and widespread debris across Henrico County.

Henrico Public Works reported that winds reached about 80 mph in the county and that 140 trees fell across roadways. The department mobilized 130 employees, who cleared virtually all trees blocking roads within 24 hours except those entangled with live electrical lines. Debris removal continued into November, and Henrico ultimately put the cost of its storm response at nearly $300,000.

Floyd also produced an unexpected technological milestone.

Flooding knocked Henrico's existing public-safety radio communications system out of service, forcing the county to activate its new 800 MHz digital communications system on Sept. 16 — four days earlier than planned.

The $22-million Motorola system replaced aging technology that already had remained in use five years beyond its intended lifespan. The formal transition of the remaining dispatchers to the new communications center followed several days later.

Sources: Henrico County 1999-2000 Annual Report; Henrico County Police Division historical records.