RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Ahead of Hurricane Florence, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam ordered a mandatory evacuation of the areas near the coastal shore, known as Zone A.
Gov. Northam announced the decision at a news conference on Monday. The order will impact the 245,000 people who live in the affected area, according to state officials.
“It’s too soon to know the exact track Florence will take, but all the models read that Virginia can expect significant impact,” Gov. Northam said.
Dr. Jeff Stern, the state coordinator for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, also spoke at the news conference on Monday. Dr. Stern says Hurricane Florence is a force of nature that no one in Virginia has ever experienced.
“Our local governments and citizens are going to need to be resilient,” Dr. Stern explained at the briefing. “We’re going to need to improvise beyond the plan that we have in the books, we need to help each other out in ways we haven’t thought of.”
Old Dominion University plans to cancel all classes after 12:15 a.m. on Tuesday until Sunday and have issued a voluntary evacuation for students.
Zone A, near Hampton Roads and the eastern shore, are the lowest-lying areas in the zone and are prone to flooding.
“Coastal storm surge, inland flooding that may be severe, high winds, and widespread power outages,” Northam continued. “The hurricane is likely to have impact statewide, not just our coastal areas.”
Click here to find out what zone you live in.
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