September is National Preparedness Month and the Virginia Department of Health is encouraging residents to get ready as the state enters into peak storm season.
“Be prepared,” said Bob Mauskapf, VDH director of the office of emergency preparedness, “for anything that you can think of that you would be without.”
The Virginia Department of Health is part of the state’s Virginia Emergency Support Team, or VEST, responsible for monitoring health impacts from mold showing up in flooded homes, the transfer of diseases through mosquitoes that congregate near collections of water and resulting hospital surges, and more. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management spearheads the team, which includes several other state agencies.
Earlier this year, North America switched from its dryer El Niño season into a wetter La Niña one, which happens every two to seven years. The change prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to predict there could be an increase in damaging named storms this year.
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Millions of people were left without power in Texas this summer and at least three died after encountering Hurricane Beryl, the second, and perhaps most devasting, storm of this season. So far this year, Virginia has only issued a state of emergency for Tropical Storm Debby, the fourth storm of the season. Debby didn’t hit Virginia as hard as North Carolina, but preliminary findings confirmed tornado touchdowns in Glendie and Willisville, where winds were estimated to have reached 90 and 100 miles per hour, respectively.
“(Debby) was a grazing blow to us,” said Mauskapf, adding the storm season that runs until Nov. 30 “has not come to fruition.” But Virginia’s “highest incidence of Tropical Storm Activity in the area is usually October and early November. We’re entering into, if you will, the height of the Atlantic basin hurricane season,” he said.
Last week, Virginia braced for increased rain from Tropical Cyclone 8, a storm that typically moves in a circular pattern, unlike a derecho that runs in a straight line across a region, Mauskapf explained. Rain left the state sooner than expected, but water levels on the James River at Sewell Point in the Norfolk area reached as high as 4.87 feet, over a foot above ground level, on the eve of Sept. 17.
Winds as strong as 15 miles per hour from the northeast prevented water from receding, and so it lingered in that area. Weekend rain led to water levels in that same area rising over 5 feet Sunday night into Monday. A screenshot of the National Weather Prediction Service’s reading of the James River at Sewell Point. (Courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
To prepare for the next bout of severe weather, the VDH is urging people to charge phones, keep backup power on hand, fill up gas tanks, safely store perishable food and, have a first aid kit. Sheltering options are available through one of VDH’s 35 local departments across the state and, in the event of emergencies, additional safe spaces are coordinated with universities.
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The State Corporation Commission, which oversees that state’s insurance, is also urging residents to maintain updated policies, which can include “essential” flood insurance to repair damage to homes as government assistance can lag and the threat of flooding is expected to continue. It’s a familiar danger in Virginia, in the short and long term.
Located on the East Coast, Norfolk experiences the fastest rate of sea level rise in the country at 5.38 millimeters a year, which prompted the locality to propose a $2.6 million flood wall project. The state’s Coastal Resilience Master Plan, due for an update at the end of this year, states “the number of residents living in homes exposed to major coastal flooding is projected to grow from approximately 360,000 to 943,000, an increase of 160%.”
In Southwest Virginia, the towns of Hurley and Whitewood were pummeled with four to six inches of rain in 2021 and 2022, respectively, leading state emergency officials to explore ways of filling in gaps for post-storm relief. Scientists have said what happened in those smaller localities is a result of climate change: intenser, more frequent storms. Officials are now challenged with how to deploy resources in the face of increasingly violent weather.
“We don’t deal in climate change or forecasting. We do deal in the results of climate change,” said Mauskapf. “So we prepare our plans and our messaging, for these types of more frequent storms, higher temperatures, lower temperatures, whatever we may see. It’s the same threat.”
PITTSBURGH – The No. 3 Pitt volleyball team (20-3, 12-1 ACC) earned a dominant sweep against Virginia Tech (10-14, 2-11 ACC) 25-13, 25-12, 25-17 in the Fitzgerald Field House on Friday night. Eight Panthers recorded at least a pair of kills behind a well-balanced offense from Brooke Mosher and Haiti Tautua’a. The win over the Hokies marks Dan Fisher‘s 11th season with 20 or more victories.
The Panthers and Hokies battled it out at the beginning of the first set as Pitt called a timeout at 8-7. Marina Pezelj powered the Panthers to a 7-2 run to force Virginia Tech to call a timeout. The Hokies attempted to claw back but were unable to as they were forced to call a timeout, down 21-13. Mallorie Meyer continued her strong service run to carry Pitt to a 25-13 set one victory.
Masten’s efficient serving and a pair of kills from Olivia Babcock was too much to handle as Virginia Tech was prompted to call an early timeout, down 9-2. The momentum from the Panthers continued to flow, and an ace from Kiana Dinn caused the Hokies to take their final timeout at 18-7. The Panthers eventually took the set 25-12 to carry a 2-0 lead into the break.
Despite a tie at 4-4, the Panthers went on a 9-4 run, and two consecutive aces from Haiti Tautua’a forced Virginia Tech to take a timeout, down 13-8. An efficient Panther offense powered Pitt to end set three 25-17, and win the match, 3-0.
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The Panthers wrap up the weekend against Virginia on Sunday at noon on ACC Network in the Fitzgerald Field House.
NOTES
Eight Panthers recorded at least two kills in the sweep
Haiti Tautua’a notched a season-high 20 assists to lead Pitt to a .352 hitting percentage
The Panthers out dug the Hokies 38-28
Bre Kelley and Ryla Jones tallied four blocks each as the Panthers finished the night with 9.5
Jay Jones’ victory in Virginia’s attorney general race added an exclamation point to the Democratic romp in this week’s elections.
But whether Jones can help Democrats deliver on their campaign pledge to lower electricity costs is more like a question mark.
During the campaign, Jones was dogged by his past messages fantasizing about the death of the Republican state House speaker and his children. That October surprise spurred Republican groups to pour resources into defending incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares — hoping to maintain their hold on a key office as polling showed Democrats poised to sweep the rest of state government.
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But Tuesday’s blue wave propelled Virginia’s entire Democratic ticket to victory. Jones’ margin of victory was the slimmest, but he still won by nearly 200,000 votes, according to unofficial returns, or almost 6 percentage points.
PITTSBURGH – The No. 3 Pitt volleyball team (19-3, 11-1 ACC) returns to the Fitzgerald Field House to play Virginia Tech (10-13, 2-10 ACC) on Friday night at 6 p.m. and Virginia (10-12, 3-9 ACC) on Sunday at noon. The matches can be streamed on ACCNX and ACC Network, respectively.
The Panthers hold a 16-6 all-time advantage over Virginia Tech and have won 10 straight in the series. Olivia Babcock recorded 18 kills, seven digs and two blocks against the Hokies last year to lead Pitt.
Pitt is 19-3 against Virginia and has won 12 straight matches. Seven Panthers recorded at least one kill last year against the Cavaliers in Charlottesville, and Pitt held Virginia to less than 10 points in two of the three sets. The Panthers haven’t lost to either opponent since 2015.
HISTORIC. AGAIN.
• Olivia Babcock broke her own program record with 45 kills against North Carolina on Sunday afternoon.
• That kill total is the most in NCAA Division I volleyball since Cincinnati’s Jordan Thompson had 50 against UConn on Nov. 3, 2019.
• Babcock has recorded at least 25 kills seven times this season and has three 30+ kills to her name in 2025 and four in her career.
• Her previous record was 41 kills set against rival Louisville on Oct. 19.
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DYNAMIC DUO
• Olivia Babcock and Brooke Mosher earned ACC Offensive Player of the Week and ACC Setter of the Week, respectively.
• The duo has combined for eight ACC weekly accolades, with Babcock at five and Mosher at three.
• Babcock continued her dominance last week, averaging 7.88 points per set, 6.88 kills per set, 1.75 digs per set and 1.25 blocks per set in wins over Duke and then-No. 21 North Carolina.
• Mosher paced the Pitt offense by averaging 10.88 assists per set and 2.63 digs per set in two wins this past weekend.
RACKING UP RANKED WINS
• The Panthers earned their eighth ranked win of the season against then-No. 21 North Carolina on Sunday.
• They boast an 8-3 record against top 25 opponents.
• Pitt and Nebraska are tied for second in the nation with eight ranked wins right behind Texas, who has nine.
MEYER MAGIC
• Mallorie Meyer had a career day against North Carolina.
• The sophomore libero recorded a personal-best 21 digs and 10 assists to lead Pitt’s back court defense.
• Meyer and the Panthers held the Tar Heels to a .180 clip.
SWEEPS ON SWEEPS
• The Panthers swept both NC State and Wake Forest.
• Marina Pezelj had a match-high 12 kills on Friday night against the Wolfpack, tying her career high.
• Mallorie Meyer recorded a then career-high 11 digs, her second double-digit dig outing in three matches.
• Olivia Babcock notched a match-high 16 kills on a .560 hitting percentage to round out the weekend against Wake Forest.
MARINA ON A TEAR
• Freshman outside hitter Marina Pezelj has stepped in due to a Dagmar Mourits injury and is thriving.
• She tied her career high with 12 kills, a match best, in three sets against NC State while hitting .381 with eight digs, a personal best five blocks, an ace and an assist.
• Pezelj followed that up with eight kills on a .286 hitting percentage, five digs, a career-high three aces, a block and an assist against Wake Forest.
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PLAYED OUR CARDS RIGHT
• Pitt came back from being down two sets to one to defeat rival Louisville in the L&N Federal Credit Union Arena.
• Olivia Babcock set a new program record with 41 kills while hitting .423, and Brooke Mosher recorded a career-high 60 assists to pace the Panthers to a .313 team hitting percentage.
• Mallorie Meyer notched 10 digs and seven assists, and Blaire Bayless also registered a career-high eight digs.
• Babcock made an appearance on NFL Countdown to help preview the top-10 rivalry match.
SURVIVED IN FIVE
• The Panthers earned a gritty five-set win over Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.
• Olivia Babcock had a match-high 29 kills, and Marina Pezelj enjoyed a career day with 17 digs and 12 kills.
• Pitt is currently 4-2 in five set matches this year.
HISTORY MADE!
• Olivia Babcock was named the AVCA National Player of the Week after setting a new program record with 41 kills in the five-set victory over then-No. 4 Louisville.
• She became just the second player to earn four weekly national awards in a career, tying Minnesota’s Stephanie Samedy for the all-time mark.
• Babcock rewrote the previous record of 37 set by Ann Marie Lucanie against Auburn on 9/13/91.
• She is the only player in the NCAA to record at least 40 kills in a single match this season and the fourth to reach that milestone since 2019.
STAT STUFFER
• Olivia Babcock is currently second in the nation in points per set (6.07), tied for second in kills per set (5.24) and fourth in total points (504) and total kills (435).
• Bre Kelley is 17th in blocks per set (1.41).
• Brooke Mosher is 36th in total assists (843) and 44th in assists per set (9.92).
ACC AWARDS KEEP ROLLIN’ IN
• Olivia Babcock earned her fourth ACC Offensive Player of the Week award of the season (10/20).
• This marks the 14th ACC weekly honor of her career (8 Offensive Player of the Week and 6 Freshman of the Week)
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DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
• Olivia Babcock has recorded a team best eight double-doubles so far this season.
• Six of them have come in the last 13 matches, including a career-high 17 dig performance against No. 11 SMU.
• Her 2.18 digs per set this season is a personal best, improving upon her 1.82 digs per set her sophomore year.
