# Virginia state emergency management and drought response > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/virginia-state-emergency-management-and-drought-response > Updated: 2026-09-16T19:15:30.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. Governor Abigail Spanberger has implemented several executive orders to address state-level readiness and environmental challenges in Virginia. In August, the Governor issued Executive Order 19 to establish the Unified Readiness Framework. This new governance model is designed to modernize emergency preparedness, homeland security, and resilience by integrating strategic planning and interagency partnerships across state government, local responders, and the private sector. By September, the administration shifted focus to agricultural crisis management. Under Executive Order 21, a state of emergency was declared due to persistent drought conditions that caused significant hay shortfalls. To support farmers and livestock producers, the order allows for temporary exemptions regarding over-width hay deliveries to expedite the movement of critical resources, though weight limits remain in place to manage logistics. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-16: Virginia Governor declares state of emergency over drought Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger declared a state of emergency due to drought, easing transportation restrictions for hay deliveries to combat a 500,000-ton hay shortfall affecting livestock. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/virginia-governor-declares-state-of-emergency-over-drought ### 2026-08-18: Virginia Governor Spanberger issues order to modernize emergency preparedness Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger issued Executive Order 19, establishing a Unified Readiness Framework to modernize the state’s emergency preparedness, homeland security, and interagency coordination. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/virginia-governor-spanberger-issues-order-to-modernize-emergency-preparedness --- Cite as: Virginia state emergency management and drought response. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/virginia-state-emergency-management-and-drought-response