As of Jan. 11, the boil advisories in Greater Richmond have been lifted. Click here for an explainer on flushing your pipes after a boil advisory.
A major winter storm that has hit multiple states brought snow, sleet and freezing rain to Virginia, causing power outages, disrupting travel and leading to dangerous conditions that could potentially worsen.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency last Friday in anticipation of the storm, putting the Virginia National Guard on standby, and school systems and local government offices around Central Virginia closed Monday and Tuesday.
Widespread power outages, damage and traffic crashes have been reported in Virginia. Other states like Kansas and Missouri have reported car crash deaths tied to the storm.
“In a storm like this, we're seeing a lot of damage to trees, tree limbs, and power lines across Central, Western and Southside Virginia,” Jeremy Slayton, a Dominion Energy spokesperson, told VPM News.
With more snowfall, ice and frigid conditions likely into Tuesday, more Virginians could lose power and crews could face issues that delay restoration efforts.
Read more: Central Virginia school closures for Tuesday, Jan. 7
A look at the storm and what’s ahead
In Central Virginia, some areas reported up to 4 inches of snow. According to the National Weather Service, 4 inches of snowfall were reported at Richmond International Airport and in Mechanicsville early Monday.
The National Weather Service says the Richmond region could receive more snow Monday evening.
And with temperatures forecasted to drop into the teens overnight, melted snow is likely to refreeze on roadways. The Virginia Department of Transportation has warned drivers to stay off the road as crews work to treat icy surfaces.
Power outages in Virginia
Dominion Energy’s outage map shows more than 8,500 customers without power across Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico counties and the City of Richmond as of 5:15 p.m.
Dominion expects all customers to have their power restored by 11 p.m. Tuesday, according to an update from the company on Monday. Additional crews have moved to the hardest hit areas in Central and Southside Virginia, the company said.
Dominion is prioritizing restoring power to hospitals and other critical services that are impacted. Areas with the most outages are also being prioritized, according to Slayton.
As of 5:30 p.m., Slayton said Dominion crews had restored power to more than 70% of the 98,000 customers impacted by the storm since Sunday night. More outages are possible as snow and ice accumulates throughout the day.
Even a little more accumulation “from the heavier, wet snow and ice can cause significantly more damage to trees to tree limbs and our power lines,” Slayton said. This makes travel more difficult for Dominion crews — particularly in the “hardest hit areas” such as Metro Richmond, Farmville and Altavista, potentially prolonging outages in those places.
“We have hundreds of Dominion Energy crews out in the field, and they will remain out in the field until everyone’s power is back on,” Slayton said.
State and local responses
Youngkin’s emergency declaration initiated a response from the state and agencies, including the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, VDOT, state police and the Virginia National Guard.
Seventy Virginia National Guard soldiers have been staged at key sites along the Interstate 95 and Route 29 corridors and in Southwest Virginia to respond to severe winter impacts and provide needed aid, including helping to clear roads and power line routes.
Another 20 National Guardsmen are working with members of the Virginia Defense Force to support teams at staging locations.
Localities need to request assistance from the state’s emergency management department before National Guard units are mobilized. According to a spokesperson, VDEM had not received any requests for National Guard soldiers as of Monday morning.
The storm also forced new Richmond Mayor Danny Avula to issue a citywide emergency declaration as well as a boil water advisory.
Richmond’s inclement weather shelter at 1900 Chamberlayne Ave., which is usually open from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m., shifted to 24-hour operations Jan. 3 and will continue to operate around the clock through Wednesday at 8 a.m.
Two additional temporary locations could be open when the shelter reaches its capacity. According to the city, these temporary sites will operate until Tuesday at 10 a.m.:
- Marshall Plaza, 900 E. Marshall St.(single adult men and women/families)
- Richmond Police Department’s 2nd Precinct, 177 E. Belt Blvd. (single adult men and women)
