Gov. Roy Cooper urges NC residents to prepare for a Hurricane Dorian emergency

Sep. 1--RALEIGH -- Gov. Roy Cooper said the state is preparing for Hurricane Dorian and North Carolina residents should get ready, too.

In a news briefing Sunday afternoon, Cooper outlined preparations emergency teams are making, even as Dorian's path remains uncertain.

"North Carolina has to take this seriously," Cooper said. "Be ready."

Hurricane Dorian forecasts have changed as the slow-moving storm has moved toward the United States mainland. Last week, it appeared Florida would take a hit. Now the projected path has the storm, now a category 5 hurricane, skirting the East Coast. Hurricane Dorian had maximum sustained winds of 175 miles per hour on Sunday morning, according to a National Hurricane Center statement.

"As Hurricane Dorian approaches the East Coast of the United States, we are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst," Cooper said.

Cooper said he had discussed hurricane preparations Sunday with FEMA, President Donald Trump and governors from neighboring states.

Emergency teams are ready to respond and preparations for shelters and mass feedings are underway, said Mike Sprayberry, the state emergency management director.

On Saturday, Cooper declared a state of emergency, allowing the State Emergency Response Team to deploy, and issued an executive order lifting transportation restrictions so that supplies can get to hurricane victims, the News & Observer has reported.

An order Cooper issued Friday lifts transportation limits to help farmers get their crops out of fields before the storm hits, the News & Observer reported.

Though it's still unclear if or when Dorian will hit North Carolina, residents should prepare emergency kits and think about where they would go in an evacuation, Cooper said.

Hurricane Florence hit North Carolina a year ago. Rain, floods, and storm surge drove people from their homes, and damaged houses, apartments, businesses and roads.

Hurricane Matthew in 2016 flooded some of those same eastern North Carolina communities.

Many have not fully recovered from those storms.

"It's really unimaginable if you're living in southeastern North Carolina and you've been hit with two severe hurricanes in less than three years," Cooper said. "It's devastating to think about another hurricane coming on top of that,"

State and local emergency responders are prepared to keep people safe, Cooper said.

"We're all going to hope and pray this storm turns to the west and doesn't hit us this time," he said. "We're going to continue as a state to recover not only stronger, but smarter."

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