ROANOKE, Va. – NOAA is forecasting an “above-normal” Atlantic hurricane season but Governor Glenn Youngkin wants Virginians to know they are ready.
“We’re ready and then what we do next is make sure our citizens are ready,” Youngkin said.
He met with emergency management leaders out in Richmond Friday for a briefing about preparing for the upcoming season.
“They have run mock emergencies. It includes every aspect of state government, local government and federal government,” Youngkin said.
One of the mock emergencies was a two-day extreme flooding exercise.
Now, the focus is on making sure every Virginian is ready, too.
“At the core, have the things you need: a flashlight, any emergency medication, three days of food, a radio. Get a plan,” Youngkin said. “Second of all, sign up for emergency alerts so you can be notified what’s going on. And third, know your evacuation route.”
The number one risk to the Commonwealth in these types of severe storms is flooding. It can come on quickly, taking lives and causing catastrophic damage to property.
Parts of Southwest Virginia have experienced traumatic flooding when five people died in Southside after remnants of Hurricane Michael swept through in 2018.
“This is not just coastal Virginia, it’s the entire commonwealth and we have seen major storms make their way up through center parts of the United States and cause catastrophic flooding,” Youngkin said.
Check out these helpful websites for more information:
- VAemergency.gov for info on emergency kits and threats faced in Virginia.
- Knowyourzoneva.org to find out what zone you live in relevant to evacuations.
- Ready.gov for FEMA info.