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Fake government employees on Tuesday forced residents and businesses to leave evacuation zones in Virginia as Hurricane Florence continued to head to the state, officials said.
The incident prompted Norfolk City officials to send warnings to the public about those people affiliated with cities other than the city, dressed in fluorescent vests, reported WAVY-TV, of Virgina. They went door-to-door in some residences.
City spokeswoman Lori Crouch told Virginia Pilot that the agency had received calls from homeowners about fluorescent vests.
Although Zone A is subject to mandatory state evacuation, the city would never force people to leave evacuation areas, Crouch said.
"It's absolutely a personal decision," she said.
"It's absolutely a personal decision."
Businesses in the Ocean View area of the city also reported that people wearing fluorescent vests told them to close their doors and leave, Crouch said.
The officials did not know why people were trying to force residents or businesses to leave.
No other information on people wearing fluorescent vests was immediately available, but the city is investigating.
Hurricane Florence, Wednesday night, was downgraded to a Category 2 storm, but is still considered an extremely dangerous and potentially deadly storm.
Florence's nighttime winds had dropped to 110 mph from a peak of 140 mph. But authorities have warned that it will still be an extremely dangerous hurricane.
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