The governor of Virginia has given the all clear signal to coastal residents and lifted the mandatory evacuation order as the threat from Hurricane Florence has faded.
[Also read: Hurricane Florence still a ‘very serious storm’ despite downgrade, FEMA warns]
Gov. Ralph Northam, however, warned that the threat of flooding is growing for southwest Virginia, which last weekend was socked with heavy rain.
“The imminent threat of coastal flooding and high winds have passed for our coastal communities as Hurricane Florence has made landfall in the Carolinas and we believe it is safe for Virginians to begin returning home,” Northam said.
But, he said, “We are shifting our focus to the expected inland flooding and damage to Southwest Virginia as Florence turns north this weekend. We will make determinations in the coming days about the available resources and assistance we can offer to our neighbors in the Carolinas, who are in our thoughts and prayers as they bear the impact of this historic storm. I want to recognize the tireless work of our local, state, and federal partners who have been working around the clock to prepare Virginia for Hurricane Florence and to keep our residents safe.”
Virginia has had a very wet summer and early fall. In Lynchburg earlier this month, flood waters threatened to level a dam.
