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Virginia hurricane guide

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) leads the state's hurricane preparedness and response, working with local emergency managers in every county and independent city. Know Your Zone evacuation zones, lettered A through D, cover 23 coastal localities in Hampton Roads, the Northern Neck, the Middle Peninsula, and the Eastern Shore. Inland Virginia is mostly at risk from heavy rain, flash floods, river floods, and high wind from storm remnants. Look up your zone, sign up for your locality's alerts, and follow local officials.

Checked on October 9, 2026

Every phone number and web address on this page was checked against official sources on that date. Details can change, especially during a storm. Always follow instructions from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. In a life threatening emergency, call 911.

Counties

Choose your county. Each county page has its emergency numbers, evacuation zones, and shelters, and lists its cities and towns.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

P

R

S

V

W

Y

More places are on the way. Until yours is listed, see the official sources page or call 211.

What to know in Virginia

  • Past event: Hurricane Isabel (September 2003). The National Weather Service says it brought the most significant storm surge in Hampton Roads and on the main rivers feeding the Chesapeake Bay since the 1933 Chesapeake-Potomac hurricane, and heavy rain flooded roads in central and southern Virginia.
  • Past events: Hurricane Irene (August 2011) and Hurricane Sandy (October 2012) both brought strong wind gusts to eastern Virginia. National Weather Service Wakefield published post storm reports for each.
  • Past event: the remnants of Michael (October 2018) brought 4 to 8 inches of rain, with local amounts over 10 inches, to Southside Virginia, causing flash flood emergencies near Roanoke and Danville, record river crests, and downed trees.

Emergency and information numbers

Service Number Notes
Emergency 911 Police, fire, and ambulance. Call only when someone's life or property is in danger.
Virginia Department of Emergency Management office 804-267-7600 Headquarters line in North Chesterfield. Not for emergencies.
211 Virginia 211 Help finding services such as food, housing, and healthcare. Online resources are available 24/7, and 211 lists live assistance Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern. You can also text CONNECT to 247211. It is not an emergency line.
Road and traffic conditions (Virginia 511) 511 Real time traffic information from VDOT. The VDOT 511 app and website also show road conditions.
Virginia Relay 711 Free relay service for people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or DeafBlind, or who have difficulty speaking.

Statewide resources

  • Virginia Department of Emergency Management: Statewide news, preparedness, and hurricane information. Website.
  • Know Your Zone Virginia: Zones A through D serve 23 coastal localities. Enter your street address on the interactive map to confirm your zone. In a zone evacuation you only need to go to a higher zone that is not being evacuated. Local officials announce which zones must leave. Website.
  • Virginia Hurricane Evacuation Guide (2023, English PDF): VDEM's guide to planning, evacuating, and recovering. The Know Your Zone page also links Arabic, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Mandarin editions. Website.
  • VDEM hurricanes page: Watch and warning meanings, ways to prepare your home, and flood insurance basics. Website.
  • Virginia 511 (VDOT): Official traveler information with road conditions, closures, and cameras. Website.
  • 211 Virginia: Search online or dial 211 for food, housing, utility help, and other services. Website.
  • Virginia Department of Health, wells and septic systems after a storm: Treat a private well as contaminated if it was or may have been under water. Do not turn on the pump until the electrical system is completely dry. Your local health department can answer questions. Website.
  • Virginia Department of Health, find your local health department: Look up your local health district. Website.

Evacuation zones

Know Your Zone evacuation zones A through D cover roughly 1.25 million residents of 23 coastal localities in Hampton Roads, the Northern Neck, the Middle Peninsula, and the Eastern Shore. Zones show whether you should evacuate or shelter at home, based on your street address and the storm. In a zone evacuation you only need to go to a higher zone that is not being evacuated. Local officials announce which zones must leave. See your county page.

Look up your evacuation zone

Evacuation centers

Open only when announced

Evacuation centers open only when officials announce them, and not every center opens for every storm. Check the official list of open centers before you leave home. Bring your own bedding, food, water, and medicines.

Shelters open only when local officials announce them. VDEM's evacuation guide tells you to check with local authorities for the latest shelter information, and notes that not all shelters and hotels accept pets, so plan ahead. Follow your locality's alerts to learn which shelters are open. See your county page.

Help to evacuate

  • Your local emergency management office: If you need help to evacuate or have a disability or medical need, contact your local emergency management office before a storm. VDEM's guide says to contact local authorities about a special needs registry. See your county page. Website.

Radio, TV and weather

Keep a battery or hand crank radio. When power and cell service fail, radio is often the only way to hear official updates.

Official forecasts

  • National Weather Service Wakefield: Local forecasts, watches, and warnings for much of eastern Virginia, including Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore. The office is in Wakefield. Check your county page for the office that covers you. Phone: 757-899-4200. Website.
  • National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington: Local forecasts, watches, and warnings for Northern Virginia. The office is in Sterling. Check your county page for the office that covers you. Phone: 571-888-3500. Website.
  • National Weather Service Blacksburg: Local forecasts, watches, and warnings for much of southwest and Southside Virginia. The office is in Blacksburg. Check your county page for the office that covers you. Phone: 540-553-8900. Website.
  • National Hurricane Center: Official hurricane forecasts, watches, and warnings. Website.

Power, water and debris

  • Dominion Energy Virginia: Report an outage online or in the app. For a downed power line, stay at least 30 feet away and call 866-366-4357. Check your bill or your county page to confirm your provider. Phone: 866-366-4357. Website.
  • Appalachian Power: Report an outage online or call 1-800-956-4237. Assume every downed line is live and stay away. Check your bill or your county page to confirm your provider. Phone: 1-800-956-4237. Website.
  • Rappahannock Electric Cooperative: Outage reporting is available 24 hours a day at 800-552-3904. Assume every downed line is live and stay away. Check your bill or your county page to confirm your provider. Phone: 800-552-3904. Website.
  • Northern Neck Electric Cooperative: Report outages at 866-663-2688. Assume every downed line is live and stay away. Check your bill or your county page to confirm your provider. Phone: 866-663-2688. Website.
  • A&N Electric Cooperative: Serves the Eastern Shore. Report an outage or an electrical emergency at 757-787-9750 or through SmartHub. Assume every downed line is live and stay away. Check your bill or your county page to confirm your provider. Phone: 757-787-9750. Website.

Sources

Checked on October 9, 2026. If a number or address here is wrong, please tell us at Keith@KMyers.me.