Hopefully you haven’t had first-hand experience with some of these things in our state that are just plain dangerous. Whether it’s unpredictable weather, deadly creatures, or something else altogether, you really can never be too careful.
- Copperhead Snakes
Greg Hull/flickr This past summer, I nearly stepped on one of these in Shenandoah National Park. Copperheads won’t go out of their way to get you, but they won’t be so nice when provoked.
- Poison Ivy
Wikimedia As the old saying goes, “leaves of three; let it be!” Poison ivy can easily blend in to its surrounding, so make sure you can properly identify it before you’ve fallen victim to a miserable rash.
- Black widow spiders
Jason Means/flickr Small but mighty…these spiders are deadly.
- Hurricanes
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/flickr Virginians know that hurricane season is no joke.
Quinn Dombrowski/flickr Fortunately, you’ll know when to take precautions with ample weather forecasting and the tell-all sign of impending weather doom: empty grocery store shelves.
- Tornados
Virginia State Police Although it’s a rare when tornados touch down in Virginia, it can happen. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all that were affected by the storms this week.
- Ticks lurking in tall grasses
Jim Lukach/flickr Ticks are difficult to spot until you notice one has become a hitchhiker on you. It’s best to steer clear of tall grasses and always wear long pants or white socks so you can easily spot them. These tiny creatures can carry awful diseases such as Lyme.
- Sharks
J. Albert Bowden II/flickr Sharks have been spotted in the coastal areas of the state and swimmers should always be cautious.
- Deer crossing the road
Aaron Morton/flickr Deer are beautiful and majestic creatures and unfortunately, have no qualms with darting into traffic or across a windy mountain road late at night.
Karyn Christner/flickr These signs are a common sight, especially in rural Virginia.
- Snapping turtles
Virginia State Parks/flickr These guys are a little misunderstood (and they won’t kill you) but you might think twice before reaching down to pet one.
- Eastern cottonmouth
Teddy Fotiou/flickr Found in southeastern Virginia, this semi-aquatic venomous snake is recognizable by the white interior of its mouth. Ideally, you won’t have to get that close to identify one.
- Traffic on I-95
VCU CNS/flickr Well…it won’t actually kill you, but if you’ve experienced rush hour traffic on 1-95 you can understand why this made it to the list.
Although Virginia isn’t an inherently dangerous place to live, there are things you have to look out for here, just like anywhere else. Just keep your eyes open and be smart and you’ll be able to enjoy living in Virginia for many years to come.
Greg Hull/flickr
This past summer, I nearly stepped on one of these in Shenandoah National Park. Copperheads won’t go out of their way to get you, but they won’t be so nice when provoked.
Wikimedia
As the old saying goes, “leaves of three; let it be!” Poison ivy can easily blend in to its surrounding, so make sure you can properly identify it before you’ve fallen victim to a miserable rash.
Jason Means/flickr
Small but mighty…these spiders are deadly.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/flickr
Virginians know that hurricane season is no joke.
Quinn Dombrowski/flickr
Fortunately, you’ll know when to take precautions with ample weather forecasting and the tell-all sign of impending weather doom: empty grocery store shelves.
Virginia State Police
Although it’s a rare when tornados touch down in Virginia, it can happen. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all that were affected by the storms this week.
Jim Lukach/flickr
Ticks are difficult to spot until you notice one has become a hitchhiker on you. It’s best to steer clear of tall grasses and always wear long pants or white socks so you can easily spot them. These tiny creatures can carry awful diseases such as Lyme.
J. Albert Bowden II/flickr
Sharks have been spotted in the coastal areas of the state and swimmers should always be cautious.
Aaron Morton/flickr
Deer are beautiful and majestic creatures and unfortunately, have no qualms with darting into traffic or across a windy mountain road late at night.
Karyn Christner/flickr
These signs are a common sight, especially in rural Virginia.
Virginia State Parks/flickr
These guys are a little misunderstood (and they won’t kill you) but you might think twice before reaching down to pet one.
Teddy Fotiou/flickr
Found in southeastern Virginia, this semi-aquatic venomous snake is recognizable by the white interior of its mouth. Ideally, you won’t have to get that close to identify one.
VCU CNS/flickr
Well…it won’t actually kill you, but if you’ve experienced rush hour traffic on 1-95 you can understand why this made it to the list.
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