Governor Glenn Youngkin announced Sunday that he had submitted an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration to President Trump to support the ongoing response and recovery efforts of communities impacted by recent February winter storms.
“Over the past week, the Commonwealth has been hit extremely hard, particularly in areas that are still recovering from Hurricane Helene,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “This is the fifth major flood in this area in the past five years and there is significant damage that is affecting community lifelines. It is critical that we provide relief, and we will certainly take every measure possible to ensure that these areas are able to make a full recovery as quickly as possible. I want to thank our state and local agencies, and our federal, state and local elected officials for the incredible collaboration, and our first responders who have courageously made more than 150 swift water rescues and facilitated emergency operations that have saved lives throughout these storms.”
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As the winter storms and flooding moved in over seven inches of rain have fallen in some areas of Southwest Virginia with significant life-threatening flash flooding across Virginia’s most vulnerable and least resourced areas, the Governor’s Office said.
According to the release, the weather has resulted in historic river crests on the James River and other major waterways that have not been seen in the state since 1977. This has resulted in critical infrastructure damages, over 203,000 without power at its peak, over 270 road closures including low-water bridge and road washouts.
The release also stated that throughout the regions, over 150 swift water rescues, including evacuations, were made on Sunday.
Support efforts continue as high water is blocking access to critical facilities, and access to the hardest hit areas is not yet available due to receding water and debris.
