For Immediate Release: February 13, 2025
Contacts: Office of the Governor:Peter Finocchio, Peter.finocchio@governor.virginia.govOffice of the Governor:Peter Finocchio, Peter.finocchio@governor.virginia.gov

Governor Glenn Youngkin On Storm Response Efforts Across the Commonwealth

RICHMOND, VA — Governor Youngkin is continuing the efforts and coordination of state resources to support communities that have been affected by this week’s winter weather and flooding events. 

“As we continue to coordinate state resources and work alongside local officials to support communities impacted by this week’s winter weather and flooding, our focus remains getting the roads clear, the power back on and preparations for the next storm,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “The coming days will bring two more storms across the Commonwealth, and I urge all Virginians to stay informed, take necessary precautions, and prioritize safety. Whether it’s avoiding flooded roadways, preparing for potential power outages, or checking in on neighbors, every effort counts because we are in this together.”

STORM UPDATE

There are several localities that have been heavily hit by impacts from this latest round of winter weather. At the height of the event, there were over 200,000 customers without power. As of 7pm this evening, we still have more than 120,000 outages, particularly in the western portions of Virginia.

Unfortunately, the weekend forecast includes additional rainfall, high winds, and flooding. The Virginia Emergency Support Team has been activated since Sunday to coordinate the preparatory actions and response and will continue staffing the state emergency operations center through the duration of the event. We continue to work closely with state, Federal, and private sector partners to meet the needs of our residents across the commonwealth. The current focus is restoring and maintaining utilities, ensuring that people are heeding warnings for hazardous weather and travel, and keeping everyone safe.

SUMMARY OF ALL EMERGENCY ACTIONS TAKEN IN LAST 72 HOURS

• A State of Emergency was declared by Governor Youngkin on February 10, 2025.
• The Virginia Emergency Support Team has been monitoring the forecast and activated the state emergency operations center to Yellow: Increased Readiness on 2/9/25 and moved to Red: Full Activation on 2/11/25 at 0700 to coordinate activities related to the storm.
• The Logistics Support and Coordination Center is fully staffed and remains ready to deploy emergency response assets and supplies as needed to affected areas.
• VDEM is working with localities to assess the need to support residents without power with food, water, and resources for local warming centers as requested.
• The VEST has held several calls with local elected officials to keep them updated on current impacts and response operations.
• VDEM’s Regional Coordination Centers were stood up across the commonwealth to coordinate local resource requests and needs.
• Swiftwater teams from the State Water Rescue Program from as far away as Virginia Beach are staged in Bristol, Wytheville, Lebanon and Norton/Wise. These locations are used as starting points to access portions of Southwest Virginia quickly.
  • Additional state teams are ready from outside of the region should they be needed. Most of those teams were also in the area for Hurricane Helene.
• Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters are also on station in the Southwest Virginia area and available for missions as needed through the weekend.
  • The VNG Black Hawk crews and Chesterfield Fire & Emergency Medical Services rescue technicians form the Virginia Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team to provide rotary wing aviation hoist capabilities and aerial rescue evacuation. Four VNG Soldiers and three Chesterfield techs make up each HART crew.
    • View photos of the Va. Hart departing for Southwest Virginia on Flickr at https://vngpao.info/2p8nyx7n.
  • Approximately 45 Virginia National Guard Soldiers are staged and ready at two VNG facilities in the Southwest Virginia area to provide chain saw teams for clearing debris from roads and heavy-duty tactical vehicles for transport through high water and commodity distribution.
  • Another team of approximately 20 personnel has been alerted to deploy to Southwest Virginia on Friday to provide additional chain saw teams and tactical vehicles for transportation.
  • About 20 additional soldiers and members of the Virginia Defense Force are on duty to provide logistics, maintenance and administrative support for the response teams at their staging locations. Soldiers and Airmen also are providing mission command support at the VNG’s Joint Force Headquarters in Richmond.
  • During this winter storm, Virginia State Police worked 1,108 crashes, including 110 with reported injuries. There were no fatalities.
  • Virginia State Police adjusted manpower both on the roads and in dispatch centers to ensure that the department could respond efficiently to each crash.
  • As of Feb. 13, at 6 p.m., there are 89 secondary roads closed primarily due to downed trees, utility lines, ice or flooding. These closures are located in the Bristol, Lynchburg, Salem and Staunton districts.
  • Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews continue working 24 hours a day, in 12-hour shifts, to address impacts from this latest storm. Additional resources are being deployed from less affected parts of the state to areas that experienced greater impacts.
  • Virginia Department of Forestry responders are currently providing local chainsaw crew assistance in Buchanan, Carroll, and Grayson Counties.
  • The Virginia Department of Health is monitoring the Commonwealth’s public health issues related to the current inclement weather.

PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS

As we transition from winter weather to potential flooding concerns, below are some flood safety and preparedness tips.

Failing to evacuate flooded areas, entering flood waters, or remaining after a flood has passed can result in injury or death. Flooding is a temporary overflow of water onto land that is normally dry. Floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States.

• Remember that flash floods can come with no warning. They can cause outages, disrupt transportation, damage buildings, and create landslides.
• Do not walk, swim, or drive through flood waters. Turn Around, Don’t Drown!
  • Just six inches of moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.
• Stay off of bridges over fast-moving water.
• Stay away from downed wires and do not approach or touch trees or limbs that are entangled with wires as they could be extremely dangerous. If those are in state maintained roadways, VDOT crews must await the power company to remove any electrical hazard before addressing downed trees or other roadway debris.
• Power outages are affecting traffic signals in some areas. Treat all inoperable traffic signals as four-way stops. 
• For questions or to report hazardous road conditions such as flooding or downed trees and powerlines, contact VDOT’s 24-hour Customer Service Center by visiting my.vdot.virginia.gov or calling 800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623).
• Check roadway conditions by using VDOT’s free 511 mobile app, which offers information about road conditions, traffic, incidents, construction and congestion as well as access to traffic cameras, weather and more. Information is also available at 511.vdot.virginia.gov or by calling 511 while in Virginia. 
• Visit VDOT’s Districts webpage for more details in your area.   
• Determine how best to protect yourself based on the type of flooding.
  • Evacuate if told to do so.
  • Move to higher ground or a higher floor.
  • Stay where you are.

How to prepare for flooding:

• Sign up for your community’s warning system. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio also provide emergency alerts.
• If flash flooding is a risk in your location, then monitor potential signs, such as heavy rain.
• Learn and practice evacuation routes, shelter plans, and flash flood response.
• Gather supplies in case you have to leave immediately, or if services are cut off. Keep in mind each person’s specific needs, including medication. Don’t forget the needs of pets. Obtain extra batteries and charging devices for phones and other critical equipment.
• Keep important documents in a waterproof container. Create password-protected digital copies.
• Protect your property. Move valuables to higher levels. Declutter drains and gutters.

What to do during a flood:

• Depending on where you are, and the impact and the warning time of flooding, go to the safe location that you previously identified.
• If told to evacuate, do so immediately. Never drive around barricades. Local responders use them to safely direct traffic out of flooded areas.
• Listen to EAS, NOAA Weather Radio, or local alerting systems for current emergency information and instructions.
• Do not walk, swim, or drive through flood waters. Turn Around. Don’t Drown!
• Stay off bridges over fast-moving water. Fast-moving water can wash bridges away without warning.
• If your vehicle is trapped in rapidly moving water, then stay inside. If water is rising inside the vehicle, then seek refuge on the roof.
• If trapped in a building, then go to its highest level. Do not climb into a closed attic. You may become trapped by rising floodwater. Go on the roof only if necessary. Once there, signal for help.

Be safe after a flood:

• Listen to authorities for information and instructions. Return home only when authorities say it is safe.
• Avoid driving, except in emergencies.
• Wear heavy gloves and boots during clean up.
• Be aware of the risk of electrocution. Do not touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water. If it is safe to do so, turn off the electricity to prevent electric shock.
• Avoid wading in floodwater, which can contain dangerous debris and be contaminated. Underground or downed power lines can also electrically charge the water.
• Use a generator or other gasoline-powered machinery ONLY outdoors and away from windows.

Emergency Alerts 

• These days, emergency alerts can reach you in so many ways–WEA (Wireless Emergency Alerts) come to your cell phone, EAS (Emergency Alert System) on TV and Radio, NOAA weather radio alerts, mobile apps and more. It’s important to have several different ways you can receive emergency alerts, and to be armed with the knowledge you need before an emergency happens.
• Know the current forecast and get alerted for any watches, warnings, or advisories on the National Weather Service’s website
• Download FEMA app and local news apps for severe weather alerts
• Sign up to receive alerts on your phone, tune in to your local weather station, or listen to your NOAA Weather Radio

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