Area residents encouraged to prepare now for Dorian
Last October, our area suffered through Hurricane Florence. Pictured is some debris as a result of Hurricane Florence following the storm. Photo by William ‘Bud’ Hardy / Neuse News
Residents of Lenoir County should start making preparations for the impending arrival of Hurricane Dorian right now.
Although the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and National Weather Service (NWS) say the catastrophic Catergory 5 storm remains distant, it's not too early to pay attention to the storm. Dorian battered the northwest Bahamas with 185-mph winds Sunday and stalled overnight.
"At this point, we obviously are still monitoring the storm," Jerri King, director of Emergency Management Systems for Lenoir County, said. "We're trying to tell people not to pay such close attention to the track of the storm because that track could change. We are expected to possibly receive some tropical storm-force winds as early as Wednesday, but certainly by Thursday."
The latest forecast predicts Dorian will impact North Carolina on Thursday.
King and her staff participated in a conference call with the eastern branch of the state's emergency management system Sunday. They will have another conference call with the state's EMS at noon today, and begin having webinars with NWS on the same day or Tuesday.
The county's Emergency Operation Center (EOC) could get activated Wednesday, which includes law enforcement, EMS personnel, fire departments, Department of Transportation (DOT), health department, Department of Social Services (DSS) and key decision-makers involved with sheltering, response and recovery.
Under the EOC plan, the first shelter scheduled to open is Lenoir Community College. Two additional shelters, based on the hurricane level, will be North Lenoir High School and South Lenoir High School. The decision to create shelters will depend on the storm's impact to the county.
"(With the EOC), we can ask them a question and they can either relay out to their field personnel or we'll have somebody right there we can ask a question," King said.
Residents are encouraged to put together a hurricane preparedness kit. A list of items needed can be found at ncready.org. Those who have questions may call 252-559-1911. The line is not open today due to the Labor Day holiday, but assistance will be available at 8 a.m., Tuesday. If the EOC is opened, the number will be available 24 hours a day.
Lenoir County recently purchased the 911 Swift Mass Notification System app which relays weather alerts to residents through either their home phone, cell phone or email. King said enrollment access is best obtained through the Lenoir County Emergency Services page on Facebook. Just follow the instructions.
"People do need to be taking it seriously," King said. "Now is not the time to wait. I think what they're anticipating is once this storm passes over the Bahamas and starts making that turn more to the east or northeast, then it's going to start moving very quickly.
"Preparation time needs to be tomorrow [Monday], needs to be Tuesday. If they wait until Wednesday, it may be that they've waited just a little bit too late."
