A court in Virginia will strictly interpret and enforce a force majeure clause according to the contract's terms and will employ interpretive canons. A force majeure event refers to unexpected external circumstances that prevent a party to a contract from meeting their obligations.Force majeure is a common clause in contracts. Requirements to Obtaining Relief Using Force Majeure. To obtain relief in Virginia, courts will look at whether a party was unable to fulfill an obligation. Hampton Roads Sanitation Dep't,, the. Carlson, Off the hook: Contractual performance excused due to COVID, VA LAW. "); Constellation Energy Servs. Force majeure clauses allow a party to leave a contract temporarily or permanently, in whole or in part, for catastrophes that were not foreseeable.