As the largest city in Virginia, and as one of the fastest growing, Suffolk faces tremendous challenges when it comes to managing that growth and ensuring essential services and quality infrastructure is in place.

The onset of Thursday’s nor’easter provided a treacherous test to those essential services and infrastructure as high winds and driving rain pummeled the city in excess of 24 hours, creating flooding conditions in nearly every area and snarling traffic.

City employees and emergency officials, who worked to ensure emergency calls were answered and highways remained clear, should be commended for their efforts and thanked for a job well done.

With that said, the rain, wind and tides proved that Suffolk’s infrastructure is not at the point where it needs to be.

This week’s nor’easter is thankfully not a regular occurrence, but severe storms are, and many of the same areas that flooded Thursday and remained closed Friday are the ones that flood at the onset of a heavy dew.

It is time for the city to evaluate these areas and come up with solutions that will curtail future flooding, especially those in highly populated areas and along those highways that are crucial to the ebb and flow of traffic.

As Suffolk grows and infrastructure is expanded, it is important that we make sure existing services and infrastructure are sound.