Just in time for beach and picnic season, Virginia's going state sales tax-free for a week, starting on Monday.
It's not for everything, of course. Just on items that can be used to get you and your home ready for hurricanes and floods, like bottled water, flashlights, batteries, food and beverage storage coolers, cell phone chargers, plastic sheeting, duct tape and generators.
The tax break is for National Hurricane Preparedness Week, after all. (Hurricane season traditionally starts June 1, in case you didn't know.)
So when's the last time we had a hurricane or a tropical storm in this area? September 1, 2006, according to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. The remnants of Tropical Storm Ernesto caused flooding and high winds that killed seven people and created millions in damage, especially along the western shores of the Chesapeake Bay.
Northern Va. escaped relatively intact. It's always better to be prepared, though.
And if the tax break also helps you with your summer picnic or day trip to the beach, hey, all the better.
