Richmond, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - The Virginia Department of Emergency Management has declared this week, May 15-23, "Hurricane Preparedness Week." Though Atlantic Hurricane Season won't begin until June 1, Jason Elmore of VDEM says that he hopes this will give people time to properly prepare.
VDEM recommends having an evacuation plan for your household, as well as a prepared kit with items necessary in an emergency. These kits should include enough food, water, and supplies to last at least 72 hours. They also recommend having multiple avenues for receiving updates, including social media, mobile alerts, radio, and other reliable means of staying informed in a storm.
While strong winds are less of a concern in Central Virginia, flooding provides a far greater threat. The last several years have seen an uptick in named storms reaching Central Virginia, and there have been several recent instances of damaging floods in central and western Virginia.