Justice Issues State Of Preparedness For Southern, Eastern W.Va. Counties

Gov. Jim Justice issued a State of Preparedness Thursday for 22 West Virginia counties. 

The State of Preparedness allows the West Virginia Emergency Management Division to prepare personnel and resources for quick response to any emergency that may develop. 

Heavy rainfall and high winds are expected in the coming days from the remnants of Hurricane Helene.

Helene is predicted to make landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast Thursday evening as a major hurricane before moving north and inland.

The National Hurricane Center lists a 5 percent chance of flash flooding for all of West Virginia, with a 15 percent chance for the southern counties.

Justice said in a press release that while the rainfall may help with the state’s drought, too much could lead to big problems like flooding and power outages.
 “That’s why I’m declaring this State of Preparedness—to ensure our state agencies are ready. We need the rainfall, but we also need to use common sense when it comes to the hazardous weather. Please use extreme caution as we deal with the aftermath of this hurricane,” Justice said.

Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Summers, Wayne, Webster and Wyoming Counties are covered in the state of preparedness.

The National Weather Service office in Charleston predicted on Friday the storm “will bring gusty winds, and rain to much of the region. The weekend looks to remain unsettled with occasional showers and storms as a combination of an upper level disturbance and the remnants of Helene venture eastward.”