RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia National Guard soldiers and airmen are mobilized to respond to Hurricane Ian-related emergencies with a focus on transporting first responders to hard-hit areas and storm debris clean-up.
"The key to rapid response is staging personnel and equipment at key locations before the severe weather hits,” Virginia National Guard Brig. Gen. James Ring said.
The Virginia National Guard is focused in the Richmond, Virginia Beach, Abingdon, and Roanoke regions.
The state's emergency response will be directed from the state's Emergency Operations Center in Chesterfield County.
"I think flooding with Ian is going to be the biggest concern that we have throughout the Commonwealth," Jason Elmore, with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, said.
Elmore said about 50 people will fill the room on Saturday to monitor for issues in areas like transportation and communications.
"Anything from resources being requested or a transportation issue or road blockage or something with a bridge," he said. "Whatever that is, it all comes in through here. And then we coordinate all of that to make sure that we can get it there as quickly. And as safely and efficiently as possible."
If the state can't do it, they can look to the center of the room where a team from FEMA and the Department of Defense is set up to fill in the gaps.
"Potential for needing air assets to potentially support search and rescue or moving commodities or something like that. That is something you see pretty common around the country," Jason Burroughs, with FEMA, said.
Once the storm moves through, FEMA officials said they could help cities or counties apply for a federal disaster declaration to give them more resources to recover.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
