RICHMOND, Va. β Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger warned residents on Saturday to prepare for a "catastrophic" winter storm expected to bring dangerous ice accumulation, significant snowfall and extended power outages across the Commonwealth.
"There will be dangerous ice accumulation. We know that the impact of this storm will be tremendous," Spanberger said during the news conference. "We are anticipating, because of the dangerously low temperatures, ongoing impacts of this storm will continue after the point in time when the snow or the ice has stopped falling."
The governor urged all Virginians to stay home and allow first responders to assist those in need.
"Every Virginian should stay off the road as of this evening, all day Sunday and at least into the morning on Monday," Spanberger said.
Spanberger urged residents to prepare for significant and extended power outages during and after the storm due to anticipated wind, ice and freezing temperatures. She warned that power outages will likely continue even after snowfall ends.
WATCH: Reporter Q&A with Spanberger, state officials on winter storm preps in Virginia
The Virginia Department of Transportation has completed pretreatment of roads and begun 24-hour operations, including pre-positioning vehicles and tree crews.
"Those who live in subdivisions need to be aware that it may be 24 to 48 hours, or in some cases, more, after the snow has stopped, before their roads in their subdivisions will be clear," the governor said.
State agencies are coordinating comprehensive storm preparations. Virginia State Police have begun 24-hour shifts and are removing disabled vehicles from roads. The Virginia National Guard has deployed high mobility vehicles and personnel for debris removal and emergency transportation.
WATCH: Storm 'may rival' some of Virginia's historic ice storms, bring widespread power outages
The Virginia Department of Health has reached out to all health districts and is coordinating with hospitals and care facilities statewide to ensure readiness.
Spanberger announced that Virginia received a federal emergency declaration Friday night, allowing the state to receive direct federal supplies for health and safety purposes. FEMA representatives are now on the ground in Virginia.
"I want to thank Secretary Noem and President Trump for signing off on that declaration last night," Spanberger said.
The governor emphasized the importance of final preparations before the storm hits.
"Please use these final hours to be prepared, to make sure that you have blankets and warmth and food to make it through this storm," she said.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
π²: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
