RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia’s Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) is working alongside federal partners to coordinate recovery efforts in Southwest Virginia, where damaging winds and flash floods have impacted over 25 cities and counties.
“We have one goal and that is synchronizing every capability to protect and serve all Virginians,” said VDEM Director Shawn Talmadge.
The hardest-hit areas include Washington, Wythe, Smyth, and Grayson counties, where more than 200 homes were destroyed. Talmadge spent the weekend surveying the damage and coordinating recovery operations.
The destruction caused by Hurricane Helene was devastating for communities, Talmadge said.
“We saw huge sinkholes that just exposed all the utilities, bridges completely jammed up with debris coming down the water.," he said. "The force of the water was just remarkable, and the damage was absolutely extreme."
For Talmadge, the most challenging aspect was speaking with residents whose properties were decimated. The hurricane resulted in 26 tornado warnings and 22 flash floods within 18 to 24 hours.
Despite the heartache, Talmadge noted that many residents expressed concern for their neighbors.
“You know, they are faced with probably the worst disaster of their life, the worst day of their life, yet they are worried about other people,” Talmadge said. “It’s just amazing.”
Ben Earp, a photojournalist from Damascus, shared that his community is pulling together amid great odds.
His photographs illustrate the devastation affecting the small town.
“I’ve been a photojournalist for a while, since 2010,” Earp said. “I’ve covered tornadoes, the arrest of a mass shooter; it's different when it's people you know and it's your home.”
Many residents have expressed gratitude that the loss of life was minimal.
Talmadge noted that the state had dispatched emergency crews and search-and-rescue teams to Southwest Virginia before the storm hit, which helped save more than 70 people from floodwaters.
This event marked the first implementation of a new large-scale ground and air operation involving the Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team, a cooperative agreement between the Virginia Army National Guard and Chesterfield Fire and EMS, launched in 2022.
“All that preparation and training paid off and we’re just very grateful that we had all the right assets at the right place,” Talmadge said.
While rebuilding some of the hardest-hit communities may take months or even years, Talmadge emphasized that residents are determined to remain resilient.
“To see the resiliency and willingness to pick up and move forward is just wonderful about Virginia,” he said.
On Monday night, Governor Glenn Youngkin requested an expedited Major Disaster Declaration from the Biden Administration. If granted, the funds will support recovery efforts in the state and provide direct assistance to victims in Southwest Virginia.
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