All articles tagged with #southwest virginia
Southwest Virginia experienced its first significant snowstorm in over 700 days, with some areas receiving up to 5 inches of snow, ending a long snow drought. The First Alert Weather Team's forecast of 1-2 inches was generally accurate, but some areas received more due to a heavy snow band. Snowfall totals ranged from 0.8 inches to 8 inches across various locations in the region.
After storms hit Southwest Virginia, around 3,000 people were still without power as of Sunday night, with over 30,000 customers initially affected. Appalachian Power employees are working to restore electricity by Monday night, with repairs being carried out by 2,000 workers. Residents are urged to stay safe and avoid fallen trees and power lines, as attempting to clear them can be dangerous. Being prepared with a generator is recommended in case of power outages.
Appalachian Power has stated that most customers affected by power outages caused by storms in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia will have their service restored by late Sunday night, but some areas may have to wait until late Monday night. Heavy rainfall on Sunday has slowed down restoration efforts in the Tri-Cities area.
The entire Tri-Cities region in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia is experiencing unhealthy air quality, with some areas considered harmful for everyone. The poor air quality is attributed to smoke from ongoing Canadian wildfires. Sensitive groups, including people with heart or lung diseases, asthma, older adults, children, and teenagers, are advised to avoid strenuous activities and spend less time outdoors. The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Kingsport was 128, categorized as unhealthy for sensitive groups. A small portion of Lee County, Virginia, near the Tennessee border, has been marked as red, indicating unhealthy air quality for all groups.