Even though the Roanoke Valley is hundreds of miles away from coastal areas where hurricanes hit – especially during the “season” that began last month and runs through November – residents need to be prepared for catastrophic rain events that can happen here. Shawn Talmadge with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management spoke this morning about a new “Inland Impacts Guide,” that is available online; VDEM, FEMA and the National Weather Service held a briefing for local emergency managers at the Berglund Center this morning. The National Weather Service Director says they are working on new technology to more accurately forecast the amount of rain expected from the outer bands of a hurricane.
