Gov. Justice says West Virginia is prepared for storm damage

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) said on Friday that the state is ready to fully respond to storms caused by the remains of Helene, which came ashore as a Category 4 hurricane in Florida.

As always, there is a lot of preparation and coordination behind the scenes.

With the rain coming down, and the high winds picking up, it’s been “All Hands on Deck” at the State Capitol Complex.

The governor said there have been meetings that included the Fusion Center, Homeland Security, the State Police, the National Guard, and his staff.

“We’re ready now. And we’ve known this storm was coming for a long time and we’re ready. And, you know, absolutely if we get some level of devastation that can’t be fixed in ten minutes, but we can be there, and absolutely do anything and everything that we possibly can,” said Gov. Jim Justice, (R) West Virginia.

The governor said state agencies are coordinating the emergency management teams in all 55 counties, and state aid will be sent if requested. 22 of West Virginia’s counties were put on heightened emergency preparedness Thursday.

The governor conducted Friday’s media briefing, and his emergency staff briefings form his home in Lewisburg, as he did not believe it was safe to drive to Charleston.

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