Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency for Virginia in a press release at 8 a.m. Thursday morning due to the impending heavy winter storm.
The state of emergency allows for state agencies to prepare resources for quick response to emergency situations anywhere in the state of Virginia.
McAuliffe urged Virginians to prepare for the storm.
“Driving conditions during the storm are expected to be hazardous, and motorists are urged to stay off the roads until the storm passes,” Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne said in the press release.
McAuliffe reminded Virginians to be prepared for roadblocks and power outages, as well as to check in with elderly or homebound neighbors, family and friends to ensure their readiness for the storm as well.
The Virginia State Police reported a high volume of motor vehicle crashes and accidents just Thursday morning. As of 6 a.m. Thursday, there were 71 disabled vehicle calls, 70 of which came from Northern Virginia.
VSP troopers in the area worked overnight to respond to the calls and clear the disabled vehicles. Between midnight of Jan. 20 and midnight of Jan. 21, VSP responded to 767 traffic crashes statewide. One traffic fatality was reported in Bedford County and is still under investigation.
VSP reminded Virginia drivers to clear off all snow from their vehicles and to add extra time to reach their destinations. They also urged drivers to drive alert, slow their speed and to allow for increased driving distances to account for road conditions, as well as to be prepared to move over for emergency response vehicles.
The storm is expected to bring up to two feet of snow and winds of up to 50 mph to the northern and central regions of Virginia.
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