Evacuation orders as New Hanover, Brunswick close schools

Sept. 10--WILMINGTON -- Brunswick County issued a mandatory evacuation for residents in low-lying areas as of Tuesday morning, advising residents to seek shelter outside of the county.

North Topsail Beach followed soon after with its own manadatory evacuation set to begin 8 a.m. Tuesday.

Brunswick County's evacuation order includes -- but is not limited -- to Waccamaw, N.C. 904/Pireway Road, areas on Town Creek, residents along N.C. 133, Daw's Creek area, and "any other flood-prone areas," states the county release.

"I highly encourage people to move out of the county," said Emergency Management Director Brian Watts, adding that the county is likely to see high levels of storm surge and flooding as well as wind speeds. "The best thing to do is to get out the county."

On Monday, New Hanover County and Brunswick County also announced that schools will be closed Tuesday though Friday due to the approach of Hurricane Florence.

Certain New Hanover County Schools staff, including principals and custodians, will be required to work on Tuesday to secure the schools and make preparations throughout the school system.

"Supervisors will inform employees if they are identified for work tomorrow," according to a district release.

New Hanover County officials declared a state of emergency as of 11 a.m. Monday, with emergency management director Steven Still saying the county's emergency operations center would be fully activated at 7 a.m. Tuesday. Still likened the potential impact to that of Hurricane Hugo in September 1989, which caused significant damage and loss of life in the Caribbean and in South Carolina and significantly damaged North Carolina as well.

"It's been quite some time since we've seen a storm of this magnitude," Still said. "In its characteristics, it is very Hugo-esque. It is a major hurricane nonetheless."

He said officials believe the "earliest" coastal North Carolina will see tropical force winds will be 8 p.m. Wednesday.

"Currently, we are looking for Florence to make landfall as a major storm," Still said. "We do expect it to sit over our general region for a period of time."

Still said officials are continuing to work Monday on potential evacuation and shelter plans for New Hanover County, including a "pet co-location center" for residents with pets at Trask Middle School.

"Those are details that are still being worked out," he said.

Karen Collette, N.C. Department of Transportation division engineer for Southeastern North Carolina, said any decisions to close roads or bridges are left to law enforcement and local officials. She said the DOT may "lock" bridges like the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge or the Surf City swing bridge in place during storm events.

Along with school, a host of school activities planned this week are also canceled. They include Tuesday's Board of Education meeting, athletic and practice events, and drivers education courses.

During a press conference Monday, Gov. Roy Cooper said the state is taking the storm very seriously and pleaded with residents to prepare now. Several gas stations in Wilmington were already out of regular gasoline and offering only premium options or had run out of gasoline altogether by Monday afternoon.

"We in North Carolina are bracing for a hard hit," the governor said. "Now is the time to review your emergency plans, not later when this storm is on our doorstep."

Cooper asked that President Donald Trump declare North Carolina an emergency disaster area.

"The forecast places North Carolina in the bull's eye of Hurricane Florence, and the storm is rapidly getting stronger," Cooper said. "When weather forecasters tell us "life threatening," we know it's serious."

On Monday morning, New Hanover County Commissioners' Chairman Woody White said the governor has activated 200 National Guard troops, "with thousands more available if necessary," to respond to the storm.

"Based on its current track, we anticipate that Hurricane Florence will have a direct impact on New Hanover County and Southeastern North Carolina," White said. "In fact, it's likely to be a statewide event."

Cooper also announced that Dare and Currituck along the Outer Banks would also be issuing mandatory evacuations starting Tuesday. He also asked President Donald Trump for a disaster declaration to help expedite resources to the state.

N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein, in a statement, warned residents and businesses to be "on the lookout" for instances of price gouging.

"It is against the law to charge an excessive price during a state of emergency. If you see a business taking advantage of this storm, please let my office know so we can hold them accountable," Stein said in a statement.

The attorney general said people can report potential price gouging by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or by filing a complaint at www.ncdoj.gov.

Contact the Metro desk at 910-343-2384 or Breakingnews@StarNewsOnline.com.

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