Governor Youngkin released a storm response update Thursday night as the Commonwealth continues to deal with the aftereffects of this week’s winter storm.
“As we continue to coordinate state resources and work alongside local officials to support communities impacted by this week’s winter weather, our focus remains getting the power back on, the roads clear, 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.”
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In the release, Youngkin said that as of 7 p.m., there are still 120,000 power outages throughout the state in particular the western portions of Virginia.
Youngkin also added that this weekend’s forecast includes additional rainfall and high winds. In the release, Youngkin stated that the Virginia Emergency Support Team had been activated since Sunday to coordinate the preparatory actions and response, and will continue staffing the state emergency operations center throughout the duration of the event.
The office also released a summary of all emergency actions taken in the last 72 hours which are as follows:
· 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 set 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.
· Approximately 45 Virginia National Guard Soldiers are staged and ready at two VNG facilities in the Southwest Virginia area to provide chainsaw 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 chainsaw 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.
· Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews continue working 24 hours a day, in 12-hour shifts, to address the 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.
Lastly, Youngkin urged those in areas where flooding could be a potential concern to take personal preparedness actions.
