Gov. Ralph Northam issued a mandatory evacuation order for low-lying areas of Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore Monday night. The order is effective Tuesday.
“Hurricane Florence has the potential to cause catastrophic flooding, especially in our coastal areas,” Northam said in a statement. “This evacuation is for the safety of thousands of Virginians living in that zone. But the effects of this storm will be felt statewide, and I encourage everyone in Virginia to prepare now.”
The order encompasses “Coastal Zone A,” which includes much of Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore as well as parts of the Middle and Virginia Peninsulas and the Northern Neck. Check your zone here.
A bulletin from the National Hurricane Center says Florence is growing in size and strength as it heads toward a projected landfall Thursday in southeastern North Carolina.
“Hurricane Florence has rapidly intensified into a Category 4 major hurricane south-southeast of Bermuda and is likely to lash the U.S. East Coast later this week with life-threatening storm surge, destructive winds and massive inland rainfall flooding in one of the strongest strikes on record for this part of the East Coast,” The Weather Channel reported.

Northam has also declared a state of emergency for Virginia, to begin preparation of state assets, and has requested an advance federal emergency declaration to ensure the availability of federal resources to aid in storm response.
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