HENRICO COUNY, Va. -- Henrico Emergency Management Director Rob Rowley said planning for the worst, ahead of a severe storm's arrival, was critical to positive outcomes.
"Think about widespread power outages, damage to county facilities from straight line winds or tornadoes, and really kind of reviewed which agencies might be involved in responding to those kinds of incidents," Rowley said. "That's why we spent the better part of a day making sure that all of our structures were in place that we have all the important or relevant points of contact for our various agencies, so that when something happens, we're not trying to figure out who to get on the phone. We already have that in place."
As Tropical Storm Debby rolled into Virginia on Thursday, Rowley urged the community to heed warnings, limit travel, and have a plan should things go wrong.
Watch: How Petersburg is working to combat flooding as 'concerned' business owners prepare
"Just stay off the roads. If you are on the roads, understanding it doesn't take a lot of rain to cause localized flooding. And if you approach an area that has water on the roadway, it's important to remember that you can't look and gauge how much water is on the road or tell what the integrity of the road is beneath the water," he said.
Governor Glenn Youngkin (R - Virginia) reiterated that message.
"Your car is not a submarine," Youngkin said while telling drivers Virginia has resources staged to respond on interstates including 95, 64, and 81. "The Virginia National Guard has been deployed, we have been able to preposition swift water rescue crews, trucks and helicopters, but also provisions in case people need food and water.”
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