Resources for Virginians Impacted by Hurricane Helene
As Virginians recover from the impacts of Hurricane Helene, my office is pushing to bring more resources to impacted communities to help with recovery.
IMPORTANT: The Biden admin. approved Individual Assistance for Bedford, Bland, Carroll, Pittsylvania, Russell, Wise, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Pulaski, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, and Wythe counties, as well as Radford and Galax, so folks in those communities can apply NOW for federal aid by visiting disasterassistance.gov, calling 800-621-FEMA, or using the FEMA App.
COORDINATED RESOURCES FROM FEMA
FEMA has put together more information about Virginia-specific resources here. Read more about the federal and local resources that are available in your community.
ACCESS IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE: VDEM is on the ground supporting communities now
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) has a collection of resources for impacted Virginians. Click here to view their updates or call 804-267-7600 for immediate assistance from their Emergency Support Team.
VDEM also has a hotline for help with cleanup/debris management. Call 1-844-965-1386 for assistance.
TRANSIT ISSUES: How to report obstructions to roads or infrastructure
You can report issues with critical infrastructure (such as trees blocking roads) by visiting my.vdot.virginia.gov or calling 800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623).
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: State price gouging protections are in effect
From the Office of the Attorney General: Virginia’s Anti-Price Gouging Act prohibits a supplier from charging “unconscionable prices” for “necessary goods and services” following a declared state of emergency.
Items and services covered by these protections include, but are not limited to, water, ice, food, generators, batteries, home repair materials and services, and tree removal services. The basic test for determining if a price is unconscionable is whether the post-disaster price grossly exceeds the price charged for the same or similar goods or services during the ten days immediately prior to the disaster.
Complaints should be reported to the Office of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section, with the exception of claims related to gasoline and motor fuel prices, which are handled by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Consumers can contact the Consumer Protection Section for additional information or to file a complaint:
- By phone: (800)-552-9963
- By email: consumer@oag.state.va.us
- Online Complaint Form: https://www.oag.state.va.us/consumercomplaintform/start
More information here: https://www.oag.state.va.us/consumer-protection/
BASIC SUPPLIES & SHELTERING
If you are in need of essential supplies, such as food, water, or ice, please contact the Virginia Department of Social Services by calling 2-1-1, or 1-800-230-6977, or by visiting https://211.getcare.com/consite/announcements/index.php. The hearing impaired may dial 7-1-1 for Virginia Relay then 1-800-230-6977. You may also contact your local emergency manager who will have updated information about emergency resources and supplies in your area. For a list of emergency managers in your area visit: https://lemd.vdem.virginia.gov/Public/ByRegion.aspx.
HELP FOR SENIORS
If you know of a senior who needs assistance call Virginia Division for Aging Services toll-free at 1-800-552-3402, for the hearing or speech impaired use the free Virginia Relay telephone relay service by dialing 7-1-1. To report elder abuse, call 1-888-832-3858.
HELP FOR VETERANS
Veterans in need of assistance can contact the Veteran Disaster Hotline at 1-800-507-4571 or go to any VA medical facility for assistance.
MENTAL HEALTH
If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress please call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990, or text TalkWithUs to 66746, to connect with a trained counselor. You may also visit: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline for more information about managing stress after a disaster and talking with children about traumatic events.
POWER OUTAGES
Find updates on outages across the Commonwealth here. If your provider is Appalachian Power, you can report an outage or get more information here. If your provider is Dominion Energy, you can report an outage or check a status update here.
WORK FROM TEAM WARNER: Our efforts to get more federal resources to Virginia
Sen. Kaine, Rep. Griffith, and I successfully advocated for President Biden to grant Virginia’s request for an Emergency Declaration, which will help FEMA coordinate and increase federal resources to help with recovery. In the coming weeks, we will keep looking for more ways to promote more federal support for impacted communities.
