LATEST UPDATE on Hurricane Sandy

Please contact your county office of emergency services for immediate assistance. County Emergency Services should be your first point of contact:
http://www.dhsem.wv.gov/countycontacts/Pages/default.aspx

Hurricane Sandy is expected to bring life-threatening storm surge flooding to the Mid-Atlantic coast, and is forecasted to bring high winds, heavy rains, dangerous surf, and is very likely to produce significant amounts of snow in West Virginia.  This forecast of snow, combined with heavy winds and falling leaves, will likely result in downed power lines and widespread power outages across our state.  There is an ongoing and coordinated response at the local, state, and federal levels to mitigate the impact of this storm in West Virginia, but residents need to take action to prepare for the storm's impact.

Senator Manchin encourages all West Virginians to closely monitor the weather forecast the next several days and make necessary preparations including: securing homes and businesses for high wind and heavy rain or snow; securing outdoor furniture and stocking up on non-perishable food, water and flashlights with extra batteries. For people in low-lying areas, please plan to take action in the event there is a flood warning.

“We’ve been through so many storms in our state, and the best way to handle a storm is to be as prepared as possible,” Senator Manchin said. “That is why I encourage all West Virginians to make sure you have enough non-perishable food on hand in case of power outages and other emergencies. For those who are affected by the storm, I will update my website with the latest information on who to contact to request immediate assistance.”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, RESOURCES AND IMPORTANT CONTACTS:

Information from FEMA available here: http://www.fema.gov/

We are closely monitoring Hurricane Sandy and continue to prepare to support potentially affected state and tribal governments.  Forecasts from the National Hurricane Center show a large area may be impacted by high winds, heavy rains, storm surge, and snow.  These hazardous conditions may be compounded by the likelihood of widespread power outages.

If you or someone you know may be impacted by Hurricane Sandy, here are a few things to do to get ready:

• Get some extra cash out at the ATM today. If the power goes out, banks/ATMs may be offline for some time.
• Make a plan for how you¹ll keep your cell phone charged if you lose power for several days. Picking up a solar or hand-crank charger for your phone is a good idea.
• Take steps to protect your home/business from high winds ­ cover windows, clean gutters, trim trees.
• Get to the store today for emergency supplies such as water, nonperishable food, batteries, flashlight, etc.
• Make sure you have what you need in case the power goes out and cold weather moves in. Double check that you have a safe, warm place you can go, blankets in your home/car, and winter items like snow shovels and rock salt.
• Employers: make sure your employees are prepared and review your continuity and tele-work plans.
• More information for your emergency kit

West Virginia state goverment services: http://www.ready.wv.gov/Pages/default.aspx

National Weather Service: http://www.weather.gov/

West Virginia Weather Warnings: http://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wv.php?x=1

National Weather Service Doppler Radar Real Time Weather
Tracking: http://www.weather.gov/Radar#loop

For information about river and creek flooding:
http://water.weather.gov/ahps/

School Closings:
http://wvde.state.wv.us/closings/county/all

For information about power outages:

Northern/Central/Eastern WV:
First Energy: http://outages.firstenergycorp.com/mdwv.html

Southern WV:
Appalachian Power: https://appalachianpower.com/outages/
AEP: https://www.aepohio.com/outages/

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LATEST UPDATE on June Derecho: October 2012

After FEMA’s September decision providing Individual Assistance to four West Virginia counties, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin requested FEMA expand assistance to additional counties. FEMA approved the counties of Cabell, Clay, Greenbrier, Jackson, Lincoln, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Pocahontas, Roane, Tyler, Webster, and Wood. FEMA previously approved federal assistance to the state and individual assistance to Fayette, Kanawha, Nicholas and Raleigh counties because of the June “derecho.” Rockefeller, Manchin and Rahall wrote letters to the President supporting Tomblin’s request for additional counties to receive assistance.

FEMA previously approved disaster assistance for state and local governments to rebuild community infrastructure and individual assistance to Fayette, Kanawha, Nicholas and Raleigh Counties. With Individual Assistance, West Virginians may be eligible for housing assistance to repair heavily damaged or destroyed homes, as well as other expenses related to cleaning and the loss and replacement of personal property.

To view a map of the add-on counties for Individual Assistance, click here:

Individual Assistance Map

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is advising those in need to be in contact with their County Office of Emergency Services.

At this stage of recovery, each County Office of Emergency Services is the best place to receive assistance with storm damage. Each county has its own contact number, which can be found here:

http://www.dhsem.wv.gov/countycontacts/Pages/default.aspx

Constituents who need additional assistance can contact Senator Manchin’s office at 855-275-5737 (To use with 304 or 681 area code). In case of an emergency, call 9-1-1.

“Friday night’s storms caused severe damage and left hundreds of thousands of West Virginians without electricity in this extreme heat. I urge all West Virginians to be very careful, stay hydrated, and check on your neighbors – especially the elderly. I know the state will do all it can to care for those in need, and I will do everything in my power to make sure West Virginia gets any needed federal assistance very quickly.”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCES: 

From FEMA: 

In response to a request from Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, the President issued a federal emergency declaration for all counties in West Virginia on Saturday, enabling the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts in the state. FEMA has also created a web page with information on the severe storms, which can be found here:http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=16692.

From Governor Tomblin:

Updates on the State of Emergency are available here: http://www.governor.wv.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Local issues can be reported to the governor’s office at 304-558-2000.

Electric Outages

Up-to-date information on power outages is available here: 

First Energy: http://outages.firstenergycorp.com/mdwv.html

Appalachian Power: https://appalachianpower.com/outages/

AEP: https://www.aepohio.com/outages/

Safety tips: https://www.appalachianpower.com/outages/faq/OutageSafetyTips.aspx

A list of cooling stations as of July 2, 3:30 p.m.: 

http://www.governor.wv.gov/Pages/CoolingStations.aspx

Water and Ice locations:

https://www.firstenergycorp.com/content/dam/newsroom/images/Summer%20Storm%202012/newsroomsize/WestVirginiaIceWaterLocations.pdf

West Virginia Department of Transportation

Fuel, gas and rest area services: http://www.transportation.wv.gov/communications/Press-Release/Pages/default.aspx

Fourth of July information:

Alderson Cancels Monday Fourth of July Events: http://wvgazette.com/News/201207020052

From Frontier Communications: 

Constituents with information about generators that have been stolen from several Frontier Communications facilities in the state following Friday’s storms are urged to call 1-800-590-6605. Anonymous tips will be accepted.

Small Business Administration 

For West Virginians with questions about Small Business Administration Assistance, contact Rick Haney at 304-623-5631.