RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -Virginia's governor has ordered a mandatory evacuation for some residents of low-lying coastal areas as Hurricane Florence approaches the East Coast.
Gov. Ralph Northam announced at a press conference Monday that the evacuation order set to begin Tuesday at 8 a.m. applies to parts of the Hampton Roads area and Eastern Shore. State officials say 245,000 people live in the affected area.
Northam says the evacuation zone includes the most flood-prone coastal areas.
Northam has declared a state of emergency on Saturday to help mobilize resources to prepare for the storm, mitigate any damage and streamline the process Virginia uses to send assistance to other states.
Northam said in a statement that while the impacts are still uncertain, forecasts increasingly expect the storm to strengthen into a major hurricane that could affect the East Coast, including Virginia, next week. Impacts could include flooding, high winds and a possible storm surge.
The governor is urging residents to begin preparing now by assembling an emergency kit with food, water, medication, pet supplies and important documents.
Chincoteague
The Chincoteague Town Council has declared a state of emergency beginning at noon.
WBOC reports the decision comes as Virginia’s issued a declaration for the state as Hurricane Florence approaches.
The Chincoteague Emergency Management team says that those who are evacuating should seek shelter to the north outside the area.
It does not recommend going west because heavy rain could produce heavy flooding in the western part of the state.
Local shelters will be available starting this morning.
Road Closures
Meanwhile, the Salisbury Daily Times reports that flooding has closed a number of roads on the Virginia Eastern Shore.
In Accomack County Hillsborough Drive Route near Shields Bridge Road has been closed after flooding washed out the highway and shoulders.
Also Cemetery Road has been closed near Route 183 and Wardtown Road near Route 193 has also been closed due to flooding.
In Northampton Saltworks Road near Route 183 has been closed as well.
Virginia work crews are hoping to repair the roadways as soon as possible.
Navy Moves Planes
HAMPTON, Va. (AP) - The U.S. Air Force and the Air National Guard are moving jets from Virginia's coast to Ohio as Hurricane Florence careens toward the Eastern Seaboard.
Officials from Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton said the base's F-22 Raptors and T-38 Talon training jets will begin flying out on Tuesday. They'll be headed for Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in central Ohio.
The base in Virginia sits near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and not far from the Atlantic Ocean.
U.S. Air Force Col. Jason Hinds said in a statement that the base's facilities can withstand hurricane force winds. But he said there's no reason to risk any damage to the base's fleet of advanced F-22 fighter jets.
About 100 personnel will travel to Ohio to support the jets.
Maryland
(AP) The governor of Maryland has declared a state of emergency in preparation for significant flooding from Hurricane Florence.
Gov. Larry Hogan made the announcement at a news conference Monday. While the governor noted there is still some uncertainty about the track of the storm, he says Maryland officials are "preparing for the potential of historic, catastrophic and life-threatening flooding in Maryland."
Hogan says the declaration of emergency is a planning measure to ensure all necessary resources are mobilized in areas of the state with greatest potential need.
He says coastal and low-lying areas are of particular concern, as well as parts of the state that already have received substantial rainfall over the last few days.
