Important Information On Hurricane Joaquin
October 1, 2015
Press Release
I wanted to share some information with you to keep handy as Hurricane Joaquin approaches. Please be aware that the Governor has issued a state of emergency for our Commonwealth. Drive safely if you plan on traveling. See here for immediate information on how to safely prepare for Hurricane Joaquin and here to find more information about the hurricane as it progresses.
Here are some useful resources for you as you weather the storm safely:
- Call 911 in a true emergency
- For current road conditions: call 511 or visit 511Virginia.org
- Report road problems: 1-800-FOR-ROADS (367-7623)
- 211 Virginia is serving as the public inquiry number for Virginia residents
- #77 on a cell to report a traffic crash or traffic emergency
- Fairfax County Sheriff non-emergency number: 703-691-2131
- Loudoun County Sheriff non-emergency number: 703-777-1021
- Prince William County Sheriff non-emergency number: 703-792-6500
- Clarke County Sheriff non-emergency number: 540-955-1234
- Frederick County Sheriff non-emergency number: 540-662-6168
- Winchester City Sheriff non-emergency number: 540-667-5770
- Manassas City Police non-emergency: 703-257-8000
- Loudoun Water: 571-291-7878
- Washington Gas: 703-750-1400
- Follow VDOT and VDOTNOVA on Twitter
Report Power Outages:
- Dominion Power: 1-866-DOM-HELP (366-4357)
- NOVEC: 1-800-335-0500
- PEPCO: 1-877-PEPCO-62 (737-2662)
- Shenandoah Electric Co-op: 1-800-234-7832
Safety Tips:
- Visit www.ReadyVirginia.gov.
- Use flashlights for emergency lighting instead of candles.
- Unplug electrical equipment until a steady power supply returns.
- Practice proper generator and surface heater safety.
- Leave one light turned on so you know when power is restored.
- Eliminate unnecessary travel, especially by car. Traffic signals will stop working during an outage, creating traffic congestion. If you come upon a non-working traffic signal, treat each traffic light as a four-way stop, with the driver on the right having the right-of-way. Proceed with caution only when traffic permits and enter intersections only when it is safe to do so, using your turn signals to let other motorists know your intentions.
- If traffic signals are on flash, treat a flashing red as a stop (treat like a stop sign). For flashing yellow, proceed with caution.