The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, held a press call on Tuesday on the government's response to Hurricane Helene. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.
After Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane on Thursday, it barreled up into the southern Appalachian mountains, causing catastrophic floods and mudslides. FEMA told WMRA in an email that when warm, tropical moisture is forced up a mountain slope, the intensity of rainfall increases. That, plus the steep terrain, created flash flooding that was faster and more violent in nature than it would have been on flatter ground. The Washington Post reports the storm's confirmed death toll climbed to 130 as of midday Tuesday.
FEMA's director of individual assistance, Frank Matranga, said that many of the recovery efforts are now concentrated in North Carolina.
FRANK MATRANGA: Right now, there are more than 3,500 federal responders on the ground supporting recovery efforts in the impacted states. Of those, over a thousand are from the FEMA workforce.
On Sunday, President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency for seven localities in southwestern Virginia. FEMA said that the agency has deployed a team to help Virginia's Emergency Operations Center coordinate response efforts, and 160 pallets of water are on the way. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies are also sending personnel to help coordinate debris removal and infrastructure repair.
Flooding from the storm's remnants has also washed out roads in our region. As of Tuesday, the following were closed:
- Rt. 635S (Albemarle County) - Craigs Store Rd - from White Mountain Rd; Rt. 736N/S (Albemarle County) to Castle Rock Rd; Rt. 691N/S (Albemarle County).
- Rt. 811W (Albemarle County) - Bearwood Rd - from White Hall Rd; Dead End to Browns Gap Tpke; Rt. 680N/S (Albemarle County).
- Rt. 839S (Albemarle County) - Whippoorwill Rd - from Cardinal Ridge Rd; Rt. 1615E/W (Albemarle County) to Garth Rd; Rt. 614E/W (Albemarle County).
- Rt. 651E (Augusta County) - Churchmans Mill Rd - from White Hill Rd; Rt. 654E/W (Augusta County) to Tinkling Spring Rd; Rt. 608N/S (Augusta County).
- Rt. 632N (Nelson County) - Mill Pond Rd - from Laurel Rd; Rt. 639N/S (Nelson County) to Faber Rd; Johnson Purvis Ln; Rt. 632N/S (Albemarle County); County/City/Town Line: NELSON - ALBEMARLE COUNTY LINE.
- Rt. 617N (Nelson County) - Rockfish River Rd - from Rock Spring Rd; Rt. 620E/W (Nelson County) to Farrar Bridge Ln; Rt. 620E/W (Nelson County).
- Rt. 617S (Nelson County) - Rockfish River Rd - from Rock Spring Rd; Rt. 620E/W (Nelson County) to Farrar Bridge Ln; Rt. 620E/W (Nelson County).
- Rt. 632S (Nelson County) - Mill Pond Rd - from Laurel Rd; Rt. 639N/S (Nelson County) to Faber Rd; Johnson Purvis Ln; Rt. 632N/S (Albemarle County); County/City/Town Line: NELSON - ALBEMARLE COUNTY LINE.
- Rt. 615N (Nelson County) - from Thomas Nelson Hwy; US-29N to Dead End.
- Rt. 770E (Alleghany County) - Collierstown Rd - from Longdale Furnace Rd; VA-269E/W to Turnpike Rd; Rt. 770E/W (Rockbridge County); County/City/Town Line: ROCKBRIDGE/ALLEGHANY COUNTY LINE.
