Governor Youngkin says it's going to take time for southwest Virginia to recover from the damage caused last weekend by the remnants of Hurricane Helene. The governor visited State Police headquarters yesterday to offer his thanks to emergency support personnel who've been working on the response to Helene. The governor also said that damage assessment is underway and a federal disaster declaration is expected to expand to cover more of the affected area. He praised first responders, utility crews, local communities and nonprofit agencies for their work to save lives and provide help in the region.
As federal, state, and local officials continue to access the damage of Hurricane Helene, experts are already predicting its likely going to cost billions.Preview: A Richmond couple is back from North Carolina where a birthday celebration almost turned tragic. Chris and Maggie Melton went to Asheville last week to celebrate Maggie's birthday with their two kids and the family dog. They were staying in an Airbnb in the mountains when Hurricane Helene hit. Maggie says an alert saying a nearby dam was breached resulted in an evacuation order, but the family didn't know where to go. Maggie says they finally found a hotel where they could stay for the night. They flew back to Richmond Saturday night. Maggie tells 12 On Your Side she can't help but think what would have happened if they didn't leave the Airbnb.