Gov. Glenn Youngkin has declared a state of emergency today to assist with response and recovery efforts due to impacts from heavy rainfall and severe flooding in Southwest Virginia.
The severe weather began hitting parts of the Southwest region on Tuesday and continued into the early morning hours of Wednesday. Heavy rainfall caused flash flooding in Buchanan County, along with power outages, impacts to roads and other infrastructure, and significant resource and operational challenges.
The Commonwealth is assisting with ongoing response and recovery operations which includes providing assets and supplies to our local partners. The Virginia Emergency Support Team will continue to support this incident.
“We are deeply saddened to learn that another flood has impacted a community still recovering from last year’s flood,” Youngkin said. “In the wake of the devastation, I want Virginians in Buchanan County to know that we are making every resource available to help those impacted by this storm. As we continue to assess the situation, I want to thank our first responders and the personnel on the ground for providing assistance with our ongoing operations in Buchanan County. While rescue and recovery continues, please join me in prayer as we lift up our fellow Virginians impacted by this tragedy.”
A state of emergency allows the Commonwealth to mobilize resources and deploy people and equipment to assist in response and recovery efforts. The declaration also allows officials from Virginia to coordinate the provision of resources with our state and local partners. This action does not apply to individuals or private businesses.
The full text of Executive Order 20 is available here.
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