Plant closing and notice period questions (Richmond)

I received a formal notice about a mass layoff at my workplace. I do not know if I should start looking now or wait for severance news. What did the workforce office offer?

I stayed for the retention bonus and looked for work on the side. It cushioned the gap.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.