Dear Friends
Hurricane Irene is likely to make landfall in Virginia within the next 24 hours and bring with it dangerous winds, pounding rains and the potential for flooding and other effects. Governor McDonnell has declared a state of emergency for Virginia and low-lying areas of Hampton, Newport News and Norfolk are under mandatory evacuation orders. I want to urge you to take every precaution to keep yourself and your family safe until the storm passes.
Below is a set of Hurricane preparation tips and resources.
The Virginia Evacuation Coordination Team for Operational Response, along with the Virginia Department of Transportation, has created preparedness videos on hurricane evacuations and emergency supplies that can be viewed on YouTube or at http://www.vaemergency.com/ReadyVirginia.
Remember to keep Dominion Power's number (866) DOM-HELP or (866) 366-4357 on hand to report outages or downed lines. Dial 211 for general information about the storm. Additionally, the following list of resources can help you before, during, and after the hurricane.
BEFORE AND DURING THE STORM
Hurricane Safety Checklist.
Review this Hurricane Safety Checklist from the American Red Cross to prepare for the dangers of a hurricane.
Compile an Emergency Kit. Use this downloadable checklist to ensure you have necessary supplies on hand.
Evacuate or Stay Put. Listen to the local authorities via your local radio or television and follow their guidance. If you have not been asked to evacuate, determine whether your home or work is safe.
You can follow these guidelines from www.Ready.gov.
Subscribe to alert services. Local officials have developed systems that will send text messages or emails alerting you to local emergencies or bad weather. Check your local government’s community information page to find ways that you can be alerted for hurricane situations or sign up for local alerts.
Preparing for Power Outages. Dominion Power suggests updating your account with the phone number you plan to use
when reporting your outage. This step will ensure immediate access of your account for faster reporting without having to speak to someone. Phone numbers can be updated on-line or by calling 1-800-222-0401.
Charge Cell Phones and Laptops. Make sure cell phones and laptops are fully charged so they can be used in the event of a power outage.
During the storm, if electricity is interrupted, here are some practical tips for dealing with power outages:
Turn off major appliances such as heat pumps, water heaters and stoves. Unplug other appliances such as TVs, stereos, microwaves and computers. This will prevent damage to appliances and possible overloads to the company's system when power is restored.
Post a list of contents on your freezer door to minimize the number of times you open it.
Leave one lamp or light on so you will be able to recognize when power is restored.
Frozen food can last up to three days. It is safe to eat if it still has ice crystals at the center.
If using portable or camp-type stoves or lanterns for cooking and lighting, ensure that the area is adequately ventilated.
AFTER THE STORM
Coping with power outages. This site from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlights healthy steps you should take to ensure food, water, and home safety after an extended power outage. Tips on the site address everything from guidelines on what to do with food in your freezer or refrigerator, to water
purification procedures, to carbon monoxide poisoning protection.
Get Up-to-the-Minute Updates on Twitter. Follow Dominion Power (@DomVaPower) and the American Red Cross in the
National Capital Region (@RedCrossNCR) for regular updates and alerts after the storm.
Managing flooding and mold. This site from the Environmental Protection Agency is dedicated to providing information on cleaning up your home or office after a storm that has resulted in flooding, including addressing standing water and wet materials. The site offers basic information on addressing viruses, bacteria, and mold that can occur in the wake of a flood.
Removing fallen branches and trees. The CDC provides tips to help safeguard against injury as a result of removing fallen or partially fallen trees and tree branches, including information on properly using chainsaws in hazardous conditions.
Saving family treasures. These guidelines from The National Archives will walk you through preserving some of your family’s most treasured items that may have been damaged by flood waters.
The guidelines range in topics from what do to with wet records, to salvaging family papers, to properly air-drying books, to caring for water damaged heirlooms.
I want to thank all of the Democratic and Republican leaders who are working to keep Virginians informed and safe as we brace for this storm. I hope these resources are timely and helpful as you prepare for Hurricane Irene, and once again I hope you and your family have a safe and dry weekend.
Sincerely,
Brian J. Moran
Take care, stay safe and we'll see each other at the September Meeting on the 13th at 7:30pm at the Madison Heights Library.
What a week we have had. Earthquake on Tuesday followed by a Hurricane on Saturday, what? Next.
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