Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The wind certainly howled and many of us lost electricity - but fortunately Virginia was spared the brunt of Hurricane Sandy. Please keep in your thoughts those who were not as fortunate.
I hope that the following information is helpful as we slowly get back to normal. In particular, the Governor has signed an Executive Order that affects those who want to vote absentee or who have state licenses or permits that expire in October. As always, do not hesitate to contact my office if we can be of assistance to you!
Road Conditions and Closures
About 100 signals are still not functioning in Northern Virginia. Please treat these intersections as four-way stops. In addition, many roads remain closed due to downed trees and flooding.
Before heading out, make sure you are up-to-date on the latest road conditions and closures by calling toll-free at 511 or visiting www.511virginia.org.
You can report issues such as debris in the road and potholes to VDOT's Customer Service Center hotline at 1-800-FOR-ROAD (1-800-367-7623).
Power Outages
The Virginia Emergency Operations Center reported 114,000 households without power state-wide as of 1:00 p.m. Dominion Power expects all power to be restored by Thursday night. Based on information provided by NOVEC, all power appears to be restored in their service area within the 37th District.
To report an outage to Dominion you may call 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357). You may also visit www.dom.com.
To report an outage to NOVEC you may call 1-888-335-0500 or 703-335-0500. You may also visit www.novec.com.
Extensions for State Permits, Fees and Licenses
Governor McDonnell has signed Executive Order No. 53, which orders the Department of Motor Vehicles and other state agencies to exercise their discretion to the extent allowed by law to waive any late fees associated with October registrations, licenses, permits, or credential renewals that are submitted on or before November 9th.
In addition, the Governor has order DMV to extend the validity period of Virginia driver's licenses, special identification cards, permits, and other licenses or credentials issued by the Commonwealth that expire during the period from October 29th through November 8th until November 9, 2012.
2012 Election
The State Board of Elections has asked local electoral boards in localities impacted by Hurricane Sandy to extend absentee voting hours over the course of the remaining absentee period that ends on Saturday, November 3rd. Fairfax County has already announced extended absentee voting hours at the Government Center and at satellite voting locations. Specific information can be found at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/absentee.htm.
The City of Fairfax has not yet announced changes. Visit www.fairfaxva.gov/Registrar/GeneralRegistrar.asp for the latest information.
How to Help
Please check on your neighbors and especially those who may have special medical needs. In addition, I am encouraging anyone wishing to help out to make a donation to the Virginia Disaster Relief Fund (VDRF) or the American Red Cross Disaster Fund (ARCF). All money assists Virginians who are affected by disasters. For more information, visit:
VDRF: https://payments.vi.virginia.gov/donatenow
ARCF: http://www.redcross.org/charitable-donations
Virginia Heroes!
I want to especially recognize our first responders who put their lives on the line for our safety. The Governor specifically mentioned the effectiveness of emergency response personnel in Northern Virginia during his most recent conference call with state legislators. At the state level, dispatchers fielded 5,098 calls for service while the Virginia State Police responded to 583 traffic crashes and 690 disabled vehicles. Approximately 630 Virginia National Guard personnel were staged on the Eastern Shore, in Hampton Roads, and along the Interstate 95 corridor from Richmond to Northern Virginia. Thank you!
I wish everyone a safe Halloween and a rain-free couple of weeks to enjoy the autumn colors. |