How does Virginia respond to major storms? A look inside the state’s Emergency Operations Center

CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WRIC) - With snow turning Virginia into a winter wonderland, staff at Virginia’s Emergency Operations Center are prepared for whatever mother nature throws their way.  “We have groups here from our communications, so sometimes, especially out in Southwest Virginia, cell towers go down, those types of things.  They can reach out to our wireless partners, and get in some resources to help out with that,” Jason Elmore, Deputy Director of Strategic Communications for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, told 8News.  About 60 people from various state agencies including the Virginia State Police, Virginia National Guard, Virginia Department of Transportation, and Virginia’s power companies are monitoring conditions in real-time in one room in Chesterfield County at Virginia’s Emergency Operations Center.  “It’s important to have all of our stakeholders here together that way it allows us to just walk across the room and get things done quickly,” said Elmore.  Elmore adds an online system field request from local governments for state assistance.  “It comes directly here to the emergency operations center, and then we can reach out to our stakeholders here in the room and ask them are you able to do this, when can you do it, and then we can deploy those resources right out to the impacted areas,” said Elmore. Elmore says the Emergency Operations Center will stay fully staffed until at least 7 PM Thursday night.