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Governor Ralph Northam on Thursday encouraged Virginians to finalize their preparations and take shelter as Hurricane Dorian impacts Virginia overnight and throughout Friday.
Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) officials and partners have worked since last week preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Dorian in southeastern and coastal Virginia. Virginians in coastal areas should listen to local officials for information on potential evacuations.
“Hurricane Dorian remains a powerful storm that has already caused loss of life and serious damage in the Bahamas, Florida, and the Carolinas,” said Governor Northam. “Tropical storm-force winds, storm surge, heavy rains, and flooding from this hurricane will impact much of eastern Virginia overnight and tomorrow. Now is the time for all Virginians, especially those in our coastal regions, to finalize their preparations, listen to local emergency managers, and take shelter before the storm reaches our Commonwealth.”
Governor Northam declared a state of emergency on Monday to mobilize personnel and resources for storm impacts and to speed the response to those communities that sustain damage from the storm.
This includes resources from VDEM, the Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia State Police, Virginia Department of Health, Virginia National Guard, and others.
RELATED: Coast Guard, National Guard prepare for Hurricane Dorian impacts in North Carolina, Virginia
Virginia has been providing support to southern states and FEMA through a state incident management team, urban search and rescue teams and emergency management assistance compact support.
Virginia State Police, the Virginia National Guard, and the Virginia Department of Transportation have been preparing equipment and pre-positioning resources and personnel. Both VDEM and FEMA have deployed staff to local emergency operations centers throughout coastal Virginia to coordinate federal, state and local communication efforts and resource needs.
More Dorian News:
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