SANDSTON, Va. - More than 160 Virginia National Guard Soldiers from the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team mobilized on state active duty Wednesday in the Central Virginia, Northern Virginia and Shenandoah Valley areas of Virginia as a storm swept through the Middle Atlantic region.
Troops were also activated in Delaware and New York.
"Homeland Defense and support during natural and man-made disasters are core competencies of the National Guard," said Maj. Gen. Frank Vavala, adjutant general of the Delaware National Guard. "We are prepared to help evacuate citizens in need and protect their property by controlling access to evacuated neighborhoods."
However, in the Mid-Atlantic region, the storm didn’t pack nearly the punch that was expected though it did drop several inches in some areas.
On Thursday, the storm system was moving toward New England, and the National Weather Service predicted up to 7 inches of heavy, wet snow in southeastern Connecticut through Friday, according to the Associated Press.
The Virginia National Guard activities included:
- In the Charlottesville area, assisted Virginia State Police and VDOT clear an abandoned vehicle on Route 664 near Nellysford and assisted Virginia State Police remove debris along I-64 from the Albemarle County line to the Fluvanna County line.
- In the Luray area, transported Virginia State Police troopers through heavy snow.
- In the Harrisonburg area, assisted Virginia State Police clear debris from secondary and tertiary roads.
- In the Stanley area, assisted a VDOT plow truck stuck on the roadside and in support of Page County emergency management assisted a family of three (mother, father and 5-year-old child) stranded in their car by the snow with transportation to link up with family members
In the Winchester and Leesburg areas, conducted incident awareness assessment patrols to evaluate road conditions, check for stranded motorists and provide situational updates to VSP and the Virginia Guard Joint Operations Center.