Sen. Kaine Visits FEMA HQ for Updates As Virginia Prepares for Hurricane Florence

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 -- The office of Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, issued the following news release:

Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine visited the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Headquarters in Washington, D.C. and was briefed at their National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) on the federal government's efforts to prepare for Hurricane Florence, which is expected to make landfall later this week. NRCC is the Federal command center within FEMA that coordinates the interagency response for major incidents and emergencies. Kaine had the opportunity to interact with the various agencies represented in the command center, and thanked the employees--many of them Virginians--for their commitment to working around the clock in preparation for the Hurricane Florence.

After the tour, Kaine discussed his briefing and the threat that still faces Virginians:

"We talked about the path of the storm and the news is that it still poses significant danger in Virginia. Especially a lot of rain and flooding risks. And with rain and flooding you can also have winds that could bring significant power outages. So, what you need to do is get up to date information. Go to VAEmergency.gov/Hurricane that will give you the current information," Kaine said. "The Governor has ordered evacuation from certain areas in Southeastern Virginia and it is very, very important that you follow the evacuation order to keep yourself safe. So have a plan. Get on VAEmergency.gov/Hurricane, evacuate if you've been ordered to do so, and expect over the next few days significant wind, rain, and potentially power outages. Make sure your family is prepared for it."

On Monday, Kaine and other members of the Virginia delegation called on President Trump to issue a federal emergency declaration in anticipation of the Hurricane. Trump authorized the declaration on Tuesday afternoon.