Virginia
Health department urges preparedness ahead of peak storm season • Virginia Mercury
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.
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.
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.
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.”
LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. (7News) — A house fire that caused more than $1.3 million in damage in a Virginia neighborhood was accidental and started after junked smoking material ignited, according to fire officials.
The two-alarm fire happened around 12:23 p.m. July 2 in the 17100 block of Creekside Green Place in Round Hill.
The Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Marshal’s Office said when crews arrived, they found heavy fire conditions at a two-story single-family home. A second alarm was requested, bringing more units from Ashburn and Clarke County.
Everyone inside the home safely evacuated before firefighters showed up, officials said.
SEE ALSO | Girl, 8, left in hot car for nearly an hour in Virginia, adult family member arrested
Firefighters reportedly began working on the blaze, including the use of an elevated master stream from the first-arriving ladder truck.
During the response, crews rescued the family cat from the basement, according to the fire department.
Crews gave oxygen and temporary care before turning the cat over to Loudoun County Animal Services for evaluation.
A cat was rescued from the basement of a Round Hill, Virginia, home that was on fire after discarded smoking materials reignited. (Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office)
The fire was declared under control after about an hour.
Because of the extreme heat wave in the region, firefighters rotated through rehabilitation stations during the incident.
Officials said crews were given time to hydrate, rest in cooled areas, and receive medical monitoring.
No one was hurt in the incident, and the fire left a family of four and a cat displaced.
Officials estimated damages at $1,346,790.
A house fire that caused more than $1.3 million in damage in a Virginia neighborhood was accidental and started after junked smoking material ignited, according to fire officials. (Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office)
SEE ALSO | Frederick County farmer saves field after combine erupts in flames
Investigators said the entire ordeal started after smoking materials were thrown away into a container, where they smoldered and later caught fire while unattended.
Loudoun County Fire and Rescue is reminding residents to fully extinguish smoking materials before throwing them away.
Officials said cigarette butts and ashes should be doused in water or sand and disposed of only in a designated metal containers.
A U.S. Air Force commander for medical services at a Virginia base was removed from her post this week, according to Air Force officials.
Col. Tracy Allen, commander of the 633rd Medical Group at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, one of the largest Air Force bases, was relieved of command on Tuesday because of a “loss of confidence,” a Langley spokesperson told Military Times on Thursday.
Allen was removed by Col. Stephen Anderson, 633rd Air Base Wing commander, “after careful consideration.”
The base did not provide a specific reason for Allen’s removal beyond citing a loss of confidence in her ability to lead.
Until a new commander of the medical unit is chosen, Col. Michael Blowers, the deputy command surgeon at Air Combat Command, has assumed responsibility of the group.
Before taking command, Allen previously led the 436th Medical Group at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. She also served as the chief of the Medical Readiness Division and chief of the Air Force Medical Operations Center, according to her LinkedIn.
The base houses Air Combat Command, one of the force’s 10 major commands. It has 1,150 assigned aircraft with 35 wings and 1,470 units across 248 locations.
The 633rd Medical Group has five squadrons and 1,400 personnel that deliver outpatient, specialty and emergent care and operate an outpatient surgical center.
The unit also supports a local patient population of up to 29,000 active-duty members and their families alongside 426,000 TRICARE beneficiaries in Hampton Roads, the area in which the base is located.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.
Virginia
Virginia nonprofit Urban Baby Beginnings to receive $5K grant for Nexstar’s ’30 Days of Giving’
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Urban Baby Beginnings, a nonprofit dedicated to building Virginia’s maternal health hub system, has been recognized as a recipient of a $5,000 grant as part of 8News’ parent company, Nexstar’s “30 Days of Giving” initiative.
On June 14, Nexstar Media Group, Inc. announced that the Nexstar Media Charitable Foundation had recognized Urban Baby Beginnings as a recipient of a $5,000 grant.
This comes as part of the company’s month-long program recognizing and supporting nonprofit and charitable organizations serving communities across Nexstar’s nationwide footprint.
“30 Days of Giving” is an initiative driven by employees to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Nexstar’s founding in June 1996.
Here at 8News, assistant news director Katie Wells nominated the nonprofit, which is dedicated to ensuring women of childbearing age have access to high-quality, compassionate and culturally relevant maternal care.
Urban Baby Beginnings works to reduce adverse outcomes for families during the prenatal, postpartum and early childhood stages.
The organization’s hubs in Richmond, Norfolk, Newport News, Petersburg and Roanoke, as well as its telehealth platform, connect families with hospitals, providers and community-based organizations to ensure care is accessible and meets families’ medical and social needs.
8News reporter Madison Moore met with Stephanie Spencer, the nonprofit’s CEO and founder, who said that Urban Baby Beginnings’ mission goes far beyond health care — providing mental health support many mothers say they’re missing.
“The reality is most moms are looking for that sense of belonging, someone that can listen to them and help walk through their journey,” Spencer said.
Spencer explained that the funding will go directly back to the community, including an expansion of the nonprofit’s programs that provide diapers to families.
“[It] allows us to expand our access to our social support groups,” Spencer said. “It allows us to expand our access to our diapering programs. These things matter to our mothers.”
Following the organization’s recognition, Steve Blanchard, Vice President and General Manager of 8News, shared a statement with Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
“We are honored to support Urban Baby Beginnings through the Nexstar Charitable Foundation’s ‘30 Days of Giving’ campaign,” Blanchard said. “Our employees selected this organization because of the meaningful difference it makes in the lives of families throughout our community. At WRIC, serving our viewers includes not only telling stories that matter, but also supporting organizations that are creating positive change.”
To learn more about Urban Baby Beginnings, visit its website.
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