There are several ways that you can check to see if Stafford County Government offices will be delayed in opening, or closed due, to inclement weather or other incidents. 

County’s Website: www.staffordcountyva.gov

County’s Facebook Page: @StaffordCountyGovernment

Twitter: @staffordvagov

Stafford Government Channels:

• Cox 90
• Comcast 23
• Verizon 39

Stafford Alert: www.staffordalert.com
To sign up for Stafford Alert, click here.

County Switchboard: 658-8600 (recording)

News and Radio Stations:

Channel 4, Channel 5, Channel 7 and Channel 9 as well as B101.5 FM, WFLS 93.3, WTOP 107.7 FM, and fredericksburg.com

Notifications

Depending on the weather incident, information is typically posted by 6:00 a.m. Please continue monitoring all of these information resources for updates. If you do not hear or see any information about a delayed opening or closure, then the County will open on its regular schedule.

County Staff

If inclement weather causes difficulties for employees getting to or from work, and County offices are not officially closed, a liberal leave policy may be announced. Liberal leave permits non-essential employees to use their annual leave, compensatory leave, or leave without pay to cover their absence if they do not report to work or leave early.  Liberal leave does not require advance approval, but employees are required to notify their supervisors as soon as possible when using liberal leave.

Winter Preparedness

Generator Safety - If residents lose power and are using generators, they should be extremely cautious and not use the generator inside their home or garage because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. They should also use flashlights rather than candles because of the risk of fires.

Downed Power Lines - Stay away from downed power lines. Call 911 to report downed power lines. Do not touch them.

Power Outages - If you lose power, do not open freezers and refrigerators unless necessary to preserve the cold air.

Disaster Supplies Kit - Assemble a disaster supplies kit with the following items: water, non-perishable food, can opener, flashlight and extra batteries, first aid kit, whistle to signal for help, moist towelettes, wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, local maps, cell phone with chargers. Also pack prescription medication.

Medication and/or Special Needs - Individuals with prescription medication and/or special needs should make provisions for medications that require refrigeration in case they lose power. They should also keep specialized items ready including wheelchair batteries, oxygen, catheters, medication, food for service animals and any other items they might need.

• Winter Weather - VDEM
• Winter Weather Preparedness - VDH
• Ready Virginia

Other Resources

• Winter Safety Social Media Toolkit (link)
• Winter Storm Information Sheet (PDF)
• National Weather Service (link)
• American Red Cross (link)
• How to Prepare for a Winter Storm (PDF)
• Winter Storm Playbook (PDF)
• When The Sky Turns Gray - Animated (Video)