Winds are kept First Responders busy

Warren County Emergency crews were busy Friday afternoon responding to a surge in wind-related calls.

Incidents include downed trees blocking roads, power lines down and sparking small brush fires, and a tree falling into a home.

Officials urge residents to stay clear of downed power lines, secure loose outdoor items, and avoid wooded areas until the winds subside.

Crews are working with utility companies to clear hazards as quickly as possible.

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Fall fire season in Virginia

Virginia Department of Forestry used by permission from VDF Communication Specialist Cory Swift-Turner

The Virginia Department of Forestry is urging you to use extreme caution now through November 30th.

Nine out of ten wildfires are started by people, and escaped yard debris burning is the number one cause.

It only takes dry leaves and a little wind for a small fire to become a disaster.

If you are burning, or using a campfire, never leave it unattended, and check your local government for any burn bans before you light up.

Protect your home and your community. Fall Fire Season is here

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here

Elevated fire conditions

Warren County Fire and Rescue are warning of elevated fire conditions Saturday afternoon, March 1st.

Low humidity and gusty northwest winds will bring a greater risk of adverse fire behavior and rapid fire spread from midday Saturday until early Saturday evening.

Relative humidity values will drop 20 to 30 percent, with west to northwest winds of 15 to 20 mph, gusting to 35 to 40 mph.

The 4pm burn ban remains in effect. If you do burn after 4pm, use extreme caution since fires can increasingly escalate under these conditions.

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Kemp Miller’s weather update

lightning

The National Weather Service has continued the Winter Storm Warning and upped the predicted amount in our area to 9-12 inches with isolated areas up to 16 inches. The good news is that we are looking at mostly snow and not much if any mixed precipitation. There will be a mid-day lull in the snow starting early afternoon and then resuming in the late afternoon for the possibility of another 1-3 inches of dry, fluffy snow before it ends tomorrow night. Forget travel: the wind will be blowing off and on most of Monday and Monday evening which will make travel dangerous, if not impossible. I’ll have reports tomorrow morning on The River 95.3 starting at 6 a.m. Enjoy the day and take care.

REC storm prep information

Rappahannock Electric (REC) issues a reminder that the National Weather Service predicts heavy rain, with the potential for severe storms, and powerful winds from late Saturday through early Monday.

REC is prepared to respond to any power outages, and urge you to prepare now, as well.

Bookmark the Outage Map on your mobile device: https://outagemap.myrec.coop/

Make sure your Outage Kit is stocked: https://myrec.coop/stormprep

Bookmark REC’s Outage Center.

You can track outage restoration and report an outage using your smart phone: https://www.myrec.coop/outagecenter

If you lose power, *please do not report your outage on social media*.

Instead, to ensure we have your outage logged, please use your smart phone to report your outage online:

https://www.myrec.coop/out

Take Advantage of IMPROVED Outage Text Alerts.

You can now report an outage through a text message and can also text key words such as STATUS to get the latest on an outage impacting your home or business.

Learn more: https://myrec.coop/outage-text-alerts

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.