MANTEO, NC (WVEC) — A state of emergency has been issued and mandatory evacuations have been ordered for several counties in North Carolina's Outer Banks, ahead of the major Hurricane Florence.
In Currituck County, an evacuation order was issued for vacationers and guests in Corolla and Carova, beginning at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018, while an evacuation order was issued for residents beginning at noon Tuesday.
This evacuation order is ONLY for people in the Outer Banks communities of Corolla and Carova. No evacuation order has been given at this time for mainland Currituck, although residents of low-lying areas are advised to consider leaving for higher ground.
Currituck residents should monitor the progress of Hurricane Florence and make sure hurricane preparations are complete. To receive free text message alerts regarding Hurricane Florence, text FLO2018 to 888-777.
Currituck County does not open any pre-storm shelters. If you feel that you might need evacuation assistance, contact the Department of Social Services at 252-232-3083.
Re-entry permits have been issued previously this year. Currituck does not issue permits in the 72 hours before a storm. If necessary, citizens may use a driver’s license, tax bill, or utility bill in place of a re-entry permit.
The Currituck County School District has canceled all after-school activities on Monday and for the remainder of the week. Scholl will also be closed for students Tuesday, September 11 through Friday, September 14. Staff members will have optional work days Tuesday and Wednesday. All custodians and maintenance personnel are considered essential, so they are required to report for work on Tuesday.
Following the weather event, Currituck County School District will provide school re-opening information based on the evaluation of county and facility conditions.
In Hyde County, a mandatory evacuation was issued for visitors of Ocracoke Island beginning at noon Monday.
In Perquimans County, there will be a curfew effective nightly, Thursday through Saturday, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., excluding Highway 17 traffic. All liquor, beer, and wine sales will stop at 8 p.m. on Thursday. Residents will not be allowed to purchase firearms, ammunition or explosives.
Additionally, there will be a voluntary evacuation of low lying or manufactured homes. Residents are urged to evacuate to a safe location with relatives or friends. A General Population Shelter will be opened for residents at the Perquimans County High School Gym at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
Emergency Management will notify residents of changing conditions through Code Red Reverse 911 calls and the Perquimans County Emergency Services Facebook page.
In Dare County, an evacuation was ordered for all visitors and residents on Hatteras Island beginning Monday, September 10 at noon, while an evacuation of residents and visitors of other parts of Dare County going into effect beginning Tuesday, September 11 at 7 a.m.
In addition to the evacuations, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and Wright Brothers National Memorial have suspended visitor services and temporarily closed all visitor facilities beginning at noon Monday.
Dare County Schools will be closed for all students and staff on September 11 and through the remainder of the week. All after-school activities on Monday are canceled, with the exception of the ASEP program.
All parks and recreation programs in the county are closed until further notice. Family Recreation Park in Kill Devil Hills will be open until 8 p.m. but will close afterward until further notice.
Dare County's Clerk of Courts has canceled all scheduled court sessions beginning Tuesday and continuing through Friday, September 14.
Dare County issued the following press release on the evacuations:
A state of emergency has been issued and a mandatory evacuation order for all visitors and residents on Hatteras Island will be in effect beginning Monday, September 10 at 12:00 p.m. This includes all areas of Hatteras Island including the villages of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras Village.
A mandatory evacuation for residents and visitors in other areas of Dare County goes into effect beginning Tuesday, September 11 at 7:00 a.m. This includes the towns of Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, Manteo; Roanoke Island; and the Dare County mainland.
The Dare County Control Group met Monday morning and has determined that a mandatory evacuation for all visitors and residents is necessary to ensure safety. Hurricane Florence is currently projected to be a category 3 or 4 storm at landfall in southeastern North Carolina and may bring life-threatening storm surge to Dare County, along with tropical storm force winds, heavy rains and the potential for tornadoes. Even a small northward shift in the track of the storm could bring devastating impacts to our area.
Everyone in Dare County is encouraged to evacuate as soon as possible regardless of the established time frames. Visitors should take all personal belongings and follow instructions from their property management company.
Those evacuating to areas north of Dare County are encouraged to consider traveling westbound on Highway 64 to Interstate 95. Evacuating through the rural areas to the west of Dare County will help avoid traffic backups and congestion that may prolong evacuation by traveling northbound through the Hampton Roads portion of Virginia. Be sure to check the weather forecast for travel conditions for the route you will be traveling and for your destination.
The state of emergency includes restrictions on swimming due to dangerous surf conditions and strong rip currents along the beaches. Everyone must stay out of the water as it is unsafe for even the most experienced swimmers.
Bulletins will periodically be issued by the Joint Information Center and the next scheduled update will be no later than 6:00 p.m. Monday. Visit www.darenc.com for updated information, videos, and relevant links to official sources.
To receive notifications directly from Dare County Emergency Management, visit www.darenc.com/emergencyalerts and follow @DareCountyEM on Twitter.
Due to the current state of emergency, reentry passes are not being issued by Dare County Emergency Management. Non-resident property owners are reminded that permits with an April 1, 2018 expiration date remain valid through December 30. Permanent residents use a valid driver’s license with a Dare County address for reentry. A current tax bill or parcel data sheet with matching current government issued ID will also suffice. To review guidelines, visit www.darenc.com/reentry.
The state of emergency has prompted Dare County to cancel are Parks and Recreation programs until further notice.
The Clerk of Courts has canceled all scheduled court sessions from Tuesday, September 11 until Friday, September 14 in advance of Hurricane Florence's possible impact.