Governor Timothy M. Kaine declared a state of emergency in the Commonwealth of Virginia Wednesday, directing state agencies to take all necessary actions to aid in the response to severe weather that affected several areas Tuesday night.

A declaration of emergency allows the Governor to immediately deploy state personnel, equipment and other emergency response resources, and to coordinate state and local response to the event.

Approximately 10,000 residents are without power. Preliminary damage reports from Essex, Louisa and Wise counties indicate that nine buildings have been destroyed and more than 50 damaged. There are large amounts of debris.

Agencies assisting include the Virginia departments of Corrections, Emergency Management, Forestry and Transportation and the Virginia State Police. Other agencies are on standby if needed.