Virginia Governor Ralph Northam Wednesday declared a state of emergency in advance of a winter storm that is predicted to bring snow and other winter weather to many parts of Virginia.
This storm, expected to arrive Thursday evening into Friday morning, comes on the heels of a storm Monday that left more than a foot of snow in some parts of the Commonwealth, Governor Northam said in a statement.
Due to a powerful bout of snow, many areas still have snow and ice and some remain without power because of fallen trees.
This will exacerbate the impacts of the coming storm, Northam said.
More than 100,000 power outages remained across the state Wednesday after powerful winds and wet, heavy snow felled trees and power lines earlier in the week, according to PowerOutage.us, which aggregates data from utilities across the U.S.
“Having two bouts of snow and icy weather back to back makes it more likely communities will need additional help as they continue to recover from the first round of tree-snapping wet snow and ice that we saw Monday,” Governor Northam said in a release.
“While we typically have ample resources for snow storms, these back-to-back events will generate landmark winter weather that requires extra flexibility. I am grateful to the hundreds of first responders and emergency personnel who continue to work around the clock to keep Virginians safe,” he added.
The National Weather Service predicts that starting Thursday, the storm has potential for significant impacts across the Commonwealth, including greater impacts in areas most affected by the earlier storm. This weather system is likely to include additional downed trees, more electrical outages, and significant impacts on travel conditions. Because the second storm is expected to continue to exacerbate damage from the first one, the emergency order will cover expenses for the combined storm events.
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