Gov. Justice issues State of Preparedness for 22 counties, including Northern Panhandle, ahead of Hurricane Helene

CHARLESTON, WV — Ahead of heavy rainfall and high winds expected from the remnants of Hurricane Helene, Gov. Jim Justice issued a State of Preparedness today for 22 West Virginia counties.

“While this weather may help with issues related to our ongoing drought, too much could lead to big problems like flooding and power outages,” Gov. Justice said. “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.”

The State of Preparedness allows the West Virginia Emergency Management Division (WVEMD) to posture personnel and resources for quick response to any emergency that may develop. Coordinating agencies have been placed on standby to report to the State Emergency Operations Center should the need arise.

Gov. Justice and the WVEMD ask all West Virginians to remain attentive to weather conditions through local media reports and follow any instructions issued by emergency officials.

Check National Weather Service Watches, Warnings or Advisories for all areas of West Virginia here: Charleston, WV (weather.gov) , National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington (Eastern Panhandle) , National Weather Service Blacksburg , National Weather Service Pittsburgh (Northern Panhandle) .

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