Hurricane Irene: NoVa emergency info from HoD candidate Brian Schoeneman

By Lynn R. Mitchell | Friday, August 26th, 2011 | Catch-All

Newsletter sent by House of Delegates candidate and Bearing Drift contributor Brian Schoeneman….

As you know, Hurricane Irene is moving closer to the Fairfax area as we speak. According to the latest projections by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the storm should reach our area by mid-to-late afternoon on Saturday, with a peak impact Saturday night into early Sunday.

Governor McDonnell has declared a State of Emergency for the Commonwealth in anticipation of the hurricane.

If the storm reaches landfall when it is predicted to do so, it will hit during high tide. This has the potential to increase the storm surge and make coastal flooding more damaging. This is especially true for low lying areas near our district, like Alexandria. Because the storm is moving at around 10 knots, or 15 miles per hour, we can expect significant rainfall – as much as 6 inches – in most of the eastern counties of Virginia, including Fairfax. Our neighbors on the coast can expect up to a foot of rain or more.

Please take this storm seriously.

I recall 2003 when Hurricane Isabel hit the region as a category 1 storm. I was without power for over a week and much of our area was affected by the storm. Irene is potentially going to move through our area as a category 2 storm, with sustained winds in excess of 75 miles per hour. We may see the same kinds of damage, including sustained power outages for significant periods of time.

Now is the time to be completing your preparations. DO NOT WAIT TO GET PREPARED.

Below are the Virginia Emergency Resources websites and call in numbers:

For information on disaster preparations: http://www.vaemergency.gov/ready

For information on emergency kits, including recommended supplies, visit: http://www.vaemergency.gov/readyvirginia/getakit

For updated news and reports regarding Irene, visit: http://www.vaemergency.gov/

For updated news and general information regarding Irene over the phone, dial: 211

Additional Important websites:
- www.ready.gov – FEMA’s emergency preparedness page
- www.vaemergency.gov – Virginia Department of Emergency Management site
- www.redcross.org – American Red Cross site
- http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ – Fairfax County Government site
- http://www.fairfaxva.gov/ – City of Fairfax Government site
- http://www.dom.com/dominion-virginia-power/index.jsp – Dominion Virginia Power
- http://www.novec.com/index.cfm?ac=full – NOVEC
- http://www.washingtongas.com/ – Washington Gas
- http://www.wtop.com – WTOP News Radio

Please take the time to review the attached 2011 Virginia Hurricane Guide. This Guide answers many questions about preparing for an emergency, how an evacuation would work, and assisting special needs citizens.

You can also monitor current hurricane projections at the following sites: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml. http://vortex.plymouth.edu

If you have any questions, please call me at 202-294-2623 or email me at brian@brianfordelegate.com

Please stay safe and let’s weather this storm together.

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