STATE STORM PREPS W.Va. Braces For Hurricane Sandy
Reported by: Kennie Bass
Videographer: John Tincher
Web Producer: Kennie Bass
Reported: Oct. 29, 2012 6:09 PM EDT
Updated: Oct. 29, 2012 6:15 PM EDT
EYEWITNESS ONLINE WEBCAST VIDEO C L I C K T O P L A Y
Charleston
, Kanawha County
, West Virginia
As a rare October storm bears down on the east coast, West Virginia's governor says the state is ready to deal with what Hurricane Sandy dishes out.
"I don't think there's any reason to panic, but get those supplies they need to get through 24-48 hours," said West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin. "Food, water, candles...get them to your home. Stay off the roads if possible to let the emergency crews get out especially if the power's off."
Tomblin issued a state of emergency at noon, giving West Virginia first responders the flexibility they need to handle hurricane-related problems like heavy snowfall, flooding and power outages.
"The operations center here brings all of the state agencies as well as our federal partners together so that when a request comes in we can get it to the appropriate place and get it handled as quickly as possible," said West Virginia Emergency Services Director Jimmy Gianato.
National guard troops have been deployed to several different parts of the state. They are gathered in Charleston, Glen Jean, Fairmont, Martinsburg and Wheeling putting them within a short travel distance of wherever Sandy hits first and hardest.
Our primary focus in these sorts of events is to provide that force multiplier piece of being able to provide those liaisons to the counties," West Virginia Adjutant General James Hoyer said. "You have counties that have one and two person emergency management shops. So when a disaster hits they've got to rely on us to be that support mechanism for them."
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