Emergency Locksmith in Norfolk, VA

What makes a lock problem urgent here

Tidal water shapes emergencies in Norfolk. NOAA calls Superstorm Sandy in 2012 the costliest event ever to affect Virginia, and it caused severe coastal flooding from storm surge. Norfolk's flood garages open on a tide forecast at Sewells Point, and they come with move-out deadlines.

After a storm or a high tide, the urgent cases often include:

• a door or frame pushed out of line so the house or shop cannot be locked
• a lock jammed after water reached the door
• a car with keys locked inside, sitting in a city flood garage with a posted move-out time and a tow for anyone who misses it

Weather without a storm can be urgent too. Snow is a small worry: National Weather Service normals for 1991 to 2020 give Norfolk 6.2 inches of it in a year. Even so, someone shut outside on a cold night, or a medication left behind a locked door, is urgent in a way a spare-key request is not.

Safety first

• If someone inside a locked home or car is in danger, call 911 before anything else.
• After a break-in, leave, call the police and let them see the scene before anything is repaired. Photos taken before the door is secured help with the report.
• Do not wade through floodwater to reach a door or a car, and name the nearest dry cross street when you ask for help.

Before you book

Ask for the total in writing before any work starts, and keep the invoice. The Virginia page lists more checks worth making before you book a locksmith.

What to send

Say what happened, who is affected, the street and nearest cross street, whether water is still standing, the door or vehicle type, and any police report number. Add whether the door or car is secured or open, and whether anyone needs to be let in or out. If a car is in a city flood garage, include the garage name and its move-out time. Related pages are emergency locksmith, house lockout and Norfolk.