Washington County, Va. declares local emergency

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) — Washington County, Virginia declared a local emergency on Friday morning as flooding and heavy rain pound the Tri-Cities area.

The county announced that due to the weather, all solid waste stations in the county are closing along with the county government center. Those closures took effect as of 9:10 a.m.

Early voting in the county will end at 10 a.m.

According to a county spokesperson, flooding has occurred throughout the county, and trees and power lines are down in several locations.

County leaders advise residents to stay home as navigating with trees down has become difficult.

Other parts of Southwest Virginia have also seen damage. Russell County’s emergency management agency reports trees and power lines are down with some trees on fire Friday morning.

The latest Storm Team 11 forecast calls for the severe weather to continue until the afternoon as the remnants of Hurricane Helene impact the region.

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