Virginia Department of Emergency Management

10501 Trade Court, Richmond, VA 23236

CONTACT:
Bob Spieldenner, VDEM, (804) 674-2400
bob.spieldenner@vdem.virginia.gov

FOR RELEASE AT WILL- Sept. 1, 2010

Hampton Roads Residents Should Be Prepared for Hurricane Earl
Storm will pass Virginia by Friday afternoon

RICHMOND, VA – Hurricane Earl is forecast to bring high winds and moderate flooding along Virginia's coastline, but the National Weather Service does not expect a major impact in Virginia and the storm is expected to leave the area by Friday afternoon. Hampton Roads residents should be ready for power outages, downed trees and blocked roads.

'Hurricane Earl could cause problems in coastal areas, but the storm is forecast to pass through the area overnight,' said Michael Cline, state coordinator for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. 'Coastal residents could experience power outages and blocked roads, so they should be ready to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours.'

The NWS in calling for tropical storm force winds and gusts of up to 60 mph to last approximately nine hours, beginning Thursday night through Friday afternoon. There is a risk for moderate flooding during that time, with tides 3-4 feet above normal.

Detailed instructions about how to prepare for hurricanes and tropical storms is available at http://www.ReadyVirginia.gov and http://www.ListoVirginia.gov. Online videos that explain storm surge and Virginia’s hurricane evacuation plan are available at http://www.youtube.com/vaemergency.

Virginians should call their local emergency manager for specific information about their area; a list of local emergency managers is available at http://www.vaemergency.com/library/directories/index.cfm. General information about the storm and state's efforts to prepare is available by dialing 2-1-1.