NORFOLK, Va. — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Friday ahead of Tropical Storm Ophelia that will affect the coastal regions of the state.
The state of emergency will allow Virginia's state government to mobilize resources and equipment needed for response and recovery efforts ahead of the storm. Ophelia is brewing off the southeast coast on Friday and will move north into the coastal regions of Virginia and North Carolina by late Friday into Saturday.
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“As this storm has organized and strengthened, it's becoming clear based on the latest forecasts that impacts to the commonwealth are likely,” Youngkin wrote in a news release.
He continued: “We want to ensure that all communities, particularly those with the greatest anticipated impact, have the resources they need to respond and recover from the effects of this storm. Since this storm has the potential to have a range of impacts across numerous localities in the commonwealth, I encourage all Virginians and visitors to keep up with the latest forecast for their area from a trusted source, make a plan, and have their emergency kits ready.”
The Virginia Emergency Support Team (VEST) is actively monitoring the situation and coordinating resources and information to get ready, Youngkin's office said in a news release, adding that the Virginia Emergency Operations Center (VEOC) will coordinate preparedness, response and recovery efforts with officials at the local, state and federal levels.
Price gouging protections enacted, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares says
Because of Youngkin's declaration of a state of emergency, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said the state's price gouging protections have been enacted.
The anti-price gouging statutes are designed to protect people from paying high prices for necessities during an emergency situation.
“Virginia’s anti-price gouging statutes exist to protect Virginians during a time of crisis from being taken advantage of by bad actors,” Miyares wrote in a news release. “Any violations of Virginia’s Anti-Price Gouging Act or exploitation of Virginians’ wallets will be thoroughly prosecuted by my office based on the Virginia Consumer Protection Act."
Items and services covered include but are not limited to water, ice, food, generators, batteries, home repair materials and services, and tree removal services. Claims related to gasoline and motor fuel prices are handled by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services instead of the Attorney General's Office.
To reach out to the attorney general's consumer protection section for more information or to file a complaint, call 800-552-9963, email consumer@oag.state.va.us or fill out an online complaint form.