RICHMOND, Va. — DOWNLOAD: 13News Now Hurricane Guide
Governor Ralph Northam on Tuesday issued the new Commonwealth of Virginia Emergency Operations Plan (COVEOP).
It lays out improvements to policies and plans for responding to hurricanes or other major natural disasters in Virginia.
With the peak of Atlantic hurricane season underway, and Hurricane Dorian beginning to impact Florida and neighboring states, the issuance of these comprehensive responses and recovery protocols reminds state agencies, local and tribal governments, and Virginia residents of the importance of preparedness.
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The Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) maintains the COVEOP and presents the plan to the Governor for adoption every four years, at a minimum.
The Governor also signed two executive orders to better coordinate emergency response among state agencies and ensure all of Virginia’s state government resources are mobilized to prepare for, respond to, and recover from hurricanes and other emergencies.
Click here if you do not see the COVEOP plan above.
The COVEOP is an all-hazards plan that outlines the responsibilities of every state agency to directly or indirectly support emergency operations in the Commonwealth. The COVEOP empowers state emergency management officials with oversight of statewide response, and marshals the resources of other state agencies such as the departments of transportation, agriculture, health, and social services, the Virginia National Guard, Virginia State Police, and others to provide personnel and support services to emergency operations at the state level and to support localities directly impacted by a disaster.
The Governor signed Executive Order Forty-Two which, adopts the COVEOP and streamlines the process by which a state of emergency is declared and delegates authority to state agencies to waive certain registration, licensing, and permit requirements to speed disaster recovery.
Executive Order Forty-One clarifies emergency preparedness responsibilities for state agencies and institutes of higher education. It requires state agencies to: have contracts in place for preparedness and for performing their emergency response and recovery responsibilities; appoint a liaison officer to work with the Virginia Emergency Support Team; and designate public information officers to assist in the state joint information center with emergency communications when the state is under a declaration of emergency.
Virginians are encouraged to make preparations to sustain themselves during and after hurricanes or other extreme weather events. Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, with its traditional peak period from mid-August to late October.