HENRY COUNTY – You should begin to get ready for what could be a very impactful and life-threatening hurricane this weekend.
Governor of Virginia Ralph Northam issued a state of emergency regrading Hurricane Florence, Saturday. As of the 12 PM update from the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Florence is a Category 4 storm with winds as high as 115 miles per hour. With the storm only four days away, Martinsville and Henry County could see torrential rainfall amounts between 15 to 20 inches.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Florence is expected to make landfall late Thursday night and early Friday morning along the coast of North and South Carolina, as a Category 1 storm, with winds as high as 70 miles per hour. As it lands, the storm will then turn into a tropical depression, which will still give our coverage area heavy rain and potential flooding. In the western parts of the forecast area, the mountains could intensify rainfall, causing streams and rivers to overflow their banks. The threat for tropical spin up tornadoes is also possible.
To learn what you should include in your emergency kit and how to prepare for a hurricane, visit www.VAemergency.gov/hurricanes.