RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – Down trees, destroyed roads, communities underwater. These are just some of the chilling impacts Helene had in the Commonwealth.
“Our hearts go out to all those people in those communities that are going to be recovering for quite a while,” said Kristopher Dumschat with the Red Cross of Virginia.
Hurricane Helene impacts Virginia(VDEM)
The category four hurricane made landfall in Florida Thursday, leaving neighborhoods in utter disarray.
“It’s devastating. From houses that have been flooded or completely damaged to people who have no place to sleep anymore or don’t have the ability to take a shower or cook in their home,” Dumschat said.
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Helene’s remnants eventually making its way to Virginia, where the southwest region got hit the hardest.
Hurricane Helene impacts Virginia(VDEM)
“This is a very rural area, so many of these homes may not be part of a neighborhood per say, so that adds some challenges on top of communications issues that we’re experiencing and just navigating some of these communities that have roadways that are washed out due to mudslides,” said Jonathan McNamara with the Red Cross of Virginia.
Hurricane Helene impacts Virginia(Gov. Glenn Youngkin Facebook)
Governor Glenn Youngkin made stops in those communities. His team announced Sunday that the governor’s request for assistance from FEMA was approved.
Meanwhile, crews with the Red Cross of Virginia are on the ground helping those residents in whatever way they can.
“Supporting emergency shelters, going into areas to speak with families to understand what damage they have experienced and get a sense for what resources from not only the red cross, but those other relief agencies can be put to bare to help them recover,” McNamara said.
Hurricane Helene impacts Virginia(Red Cross)
Despite the destruction here at home, Virginians are still assisting people in other states.
Dumschat and dozens of other Red Cross volunteers loaded trucks with food, water and clean up kits in Florida.
“I have a line of ERVs [emergency response vehicles] waiting to come in and as they come in they are getting loaded up by our volunteers and then they’re going out to the communities to drop off those much needed supplies,” Dumschat said.
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Hurricane Helene impacts Virginia(Red Cross)
The Red Cross is seeking help from the public. They’re in need of donations, volunteers and blood.
“There’s dozens of blood drives cancelled up and down the east coast. We feel that here in Richmond, but we feel that exponentially greater in those communities that have been impacted. You want to make sure we don’t a second crisis on our hand,” McNamara said.
Click here if you’re interested in helping the Red Cross of Virginia.
Signs that say, “Don’t Fairfax Me” and “Vote No” are appearing in rural parts of Virginia in opposition to gerrymandered maps being voted on in a special election.
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‘Don’t Fairfax Me’: Northern Virginians fight redistricting plan
As the special election that will determine the fate of a plan to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts approaches, the state’s largest jurisdiction has started being referenced as a verb in messaging opposing the initiative.
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Signs that say, “Don’t Fairfax Me” and “Vote No” started appearing in rural parts of Virginia, Cardinal News reported. And on social media, Del. Wren Williams, whose district includes several counties in the southwestern portion of the state, defined “Fairfaxphobia.”
Early voting has been underway for weeks, but on April 21, voters will decide whether to OK a plan that would redraw Virginia’s congressional map. Currently, the state has elected six Democrats and five Republicans across its 11 districts. The proposed map could give Democrats a 10-1 advantage, experts say.
Virginia Democrats argue the step comes in response to President Donald Trump’s push for redistricting in Republican-led states. Republicans have been critical of the effort.
Williams is describing “Fairfaxphobia” as a fear that political power concentrated in Fairfax County will make decisions for the whole state and create policies impacting some communities that they can’t afford.
“We don’t want to be Fairfax County,” Williams told WTOP. “We don’t want skyscrapers. I don’t want to have to go somewhere outside and walk around to find some patches of grass to touch. I am interested in rural life, a little bit easier, a little bit simpler, a little bit more laid back, not as fast paced.”
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“Fairfaxphobia” graphic circulated to represent the fear that political power concentrated in Fairfax County will make decisions for the whole state. (Courtesy of Wren Williams)
As part of the proposed map, Williams said, “at least five districts run up and split up Fairfax County, which will eventually lead to five sitting congressional members from the county of Fairfax, and that’s just not representative of the entirety of the commonwealth.”
Jeannette, a longtime Northern Virginia resident, said people who live in the northern part of the state “are seen as an anomaly, maybe to the rest of Virginia, given our, I think, collective more liberal leaning. And I understand why they’re saying that, but I think we should separate that from the goal of the referendum.”
Dave Lincoln, meanwhile, said Friday he hadn’t heard about the signs in rural parts of the state but, “I guess it’s — we are what we are.”
Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell called the campaign disappointing, because “Fairfax County does a lot for the entire state. If it wasn’t for Fairfax, our state would have the economy of Mississippi.”
The “Don’t Fairfax Me” signs say they’re paid for and authorized by a political action committee called “New Vision VA.” Dominion Energy made a $25,000 donation to the PAC, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
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Yves Fischer, who lives in Alexandria, said the messaging and advertising on the redistricting referendum are confusing.
For Tiffany, “I guess they’re saying ‘Don’t Fairfax’ Virginia, because obviously we are a much more educated, classy, professional, employed area, and we, of course, are going to vote ‘yes’ on this.”
In Springfield on Friday afternoon, Ann said she hadn’t seen or heard about the signs, but, “It should be a big ‘no.’ It’s not right. It’s not fair to most Virginians.”
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ABINGDON, Va. (WCYB) — The made in Southwest Virginia artisan and craft market returns April 11, 2026.
The Southwest Virginia Cultural Center in Abingdon will host more than 20 local artists.
Those artisans will offer demonstrations of their work and they’ll also be selling some of their crafts.
“We want to give this opportunity for community members to come out, as the weather is warming up and as spring is rolling around, to meet these makers and take home a little bit of Southwest Virginia,” Ryan Vaughan with the Friends of Southwest Virginia said.
A new West Virginia law aims to boost the state’s coal and natural gas sectors while more than tripling its electricity generation capacity to 50 gigawatts by 2050.
The measure, signed Thursday by Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey, is designed to turn West Virginia into an energy hub for the data center industry. By sending more electricity to the regional grid and leveraging his state’s relatively lax regulations, Morrisey and his allies are looking to lure data centers to the state, as well as power those beyond its borders.
“We know there’s virtually unlimited need for energy in our country,” Morrisey said at a bill signing of H.B. 5381. “PJM and our grid operators, they’re starving for states to step up and take the lead. And that’s what West Virginia is doing.”
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The new law calls for the state’s Office of Energy to produce rolling five-year plans to keep the state’s existing coal-fired power plants operating through 2050, while also developing new “baseload” energy powered by gas, nuclear, geothermal and hydrogen.
