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National Guard troops patrol a neighborhood in New Orleans following Hurricane Gustav earlier this week. |
By CHELYEN DAVIS
RICHMOND
--Tropical Storm Hanna isn't expected to be a catastrophic storm by the time it hits Virginia, but the state is getting prepared anyway.Gov. Tim Kaine yesterday issued a state of emergency order, so that the National Guard can be activated in case of storm-related emergencies such as flooding.
He is not calling on coastal residents to evacuate, but warned them to monitor the storm and be prepared to be without power or other services.
In a conference call with reporters, Kaine said the latest weather reports indicate that Virginia could see 40-60 mile-per-hour winds, 2 to 4 inches of rain, and minor to moderate flooding in southeastern Virginia. The storm could also spawn tornadoes.
In the Fredericksburg area, the forecast is for rain, heavy at times, tonight and tomorrow.
"Virginians do need to prepare now for this as a serious storm," Kaine said. "Folks need to be prepared for power outages, and they need to know what to do if they might be in homes that might be involved in flash flooding."
He advised people to
The state's emergency operations center will be staffed and running full time during the storm, and Kaine said there is a FEMA team being sent to help. His staff is having regular conference calls with the National Weather Service, he said.
"We're not expecting catastrophic rains, but we're continuing to monitor that very closely," Kaine said.
Kaine's issuance of a state of emergency also activates the state's post-storm anti-price-gouging law, said Attorney General Bob McDonnell in a press release.
The law bars the charging of "unconscionable" prices for necessary goods and services for an affected area within the 30 days following a state of emergency declaration, McDonnell's release said.
The test of "unconscionable" prices is whether the price charged after a natural disaster "grossly exceeds" the price charged in the 10 days before the disaster. That includes goods and services for which demand increases as a result of a natural disaster.
Also yesterday, Dominion Power said it will have repair crews and equipment ready in case of power outages, but asked customers to be prepared to endure outages, by having battery-operated radios, bottled water, flashlights and cash on hand.
For more information on the state's preparedness, go to www.vaemergency.com
Chelyen Davis: 804/782-9362
Email: cdavis@freelancestar.com
