Tropical Storm Hermine: Virginia Declares State of Emergency

RICHMOND, VA — Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has declared a state of emergency in advance of the weekend arrival of the remnants of Hurricane Hermine. The storm, now a tropical storm, made landfall in Florida early Friday and is expected to churn through Georgia and the Carolinas before eventually stalling off the coast of the Mid-Atlantic states.

“We are strongly encouraging everyone in Virginia to prepare for the possibility of damaging winds, downed trees, power outages and flooding in much of the Commonwealth,” said McAuliffe. “I have been briefed by the National Weather Service and my emergency team, who are tracking this storm and monitoring for the potential that it will reconstitute as a nor’easter with significant rainfall, life-threatening storm surge and flooding."

At 2 p.m. Friday, the storm was 30 miles north of Savannah. Hermine had sustained winds at 50 mph and was traveling northeast at 18 mph.

The current forecast has the storm running the coast of the Carolinas before heading back out into the Atlantic on Saturday morning. Once there, the storm appears ready to slow dramatically off the coast, potential through mid-week.

A tropical storm warning has been issued for coastal Virginia counties and the Chesapeake Bay, including communities as far inland as Emporia and Williamsburg. Sustained winds are expected to reach at least 39 mph. Storm surge flooding could see waters a foot above ground in some storm-prone areas. In Northern Virginia, impacts are expected to be east of Interstate 95 and limited to rain and winds gusts between 20-30 mph.

“Public safety personnel are coordinating state efforts to track the storm and respond to any emergencies,” said Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran. “We encourage the public to exercise good judgement and stay up to date by following the Virginia Department of Emergency Management on social media.”

The Virginia National Guard is expected to activate up to 300 personnel. They'll be staged at key locations in the Hampton Roads area and stand prepared for high-water transportation and to support emergency debris removal.

For information about preparing for the severe coastal weather and Tropical Storm Hermine, visit www.vaemergency.gov.