Hurricane Florence: Burlington, Alamance County begin preparations

Sept. 11--Burlington and Alamance County as a whole are gearing up for Hurricane Florence, which is predicted to make landfall by Thursday, Sept. 13. The Outer Banks began evacuating Monday, Sept. 10.

Burlington

Burlington staff and crews have begun their preparations for the hurricane and are prepping equipment that could be necessary for disaster response, Community Engagement Manager Morgan Lasater said.

This equipment includes chainsaws, generators, vehicles and barricades.

The police and fire departments are planning for increased staffing and evaluating resources, Lasater said. Police plan staffing in 12-hour periods, and the Fire Department plans to increase staff if needed.

Burlington and Gibsonville fire departments and the Highway Patrol have posted tips, updates and a link to the ReadyNC app on their Facebook pages.

"We and all departments continue to plan for the storm," Burlington Assistant Police Chief Brian Long said. "As we are planning with an abundance of caution, we encourage the same by citizens."

City officials met Monday to discuss initial plans for the hurricane and will again Tuesday, Sept. 11, for a weather briefing and to further discuss efforts to ensure public safety.

"All department leaders are evaluating staffing levels for Wednesday evening through Sunday," Lasater said.

The city plans to establish a webpage that is updated regularly for new information, she said.

In addition to those preparations, the city canceled the Carousel Festival, which was supposed to take place Saturday and Sunday.

"To ensure public safety, protect City Park's assets (carousel, train, grounds, etc.), and to continue to meet the high expectations for the city of Burlington events experience, the decision has been made to cancel the 2018 Carousel Festival. This cancellation will also ensure city staff resources will be able to assist in storm preparation and recovery efforts before and after Hurricane Florence," a city news release said.

The festival will not be rescheduled, but components of it will be integrated into upcoming Recreation and Parks events, including Halloween and Christmas.

"Due to the impact projected for this storm, the festival would not be the event that we are all excited about and accustomed to. We feel it is in the public's best interest to cancel the event," Recreation and Parks Director Tony Laws said.

Alamance County

The Sheriff's Office has an increased staffing plan in place so that additional personnel can handle any adverse situations, Public Information Officer Kirk Puckett explained.

"Our front line officers will be instructed to keep their vehicles fueled," Puckett said.

Citizens should refrain from being on the roads unless absolutely necessary, he said.

County PIO Michelle Mills and Emergency Management Director Debbie Hatfield met Monday afternoon to begin plans for Hurricane Florence.

Emergency Management has checked all of their equipment, including generators, to make sure everything is fueled up and working. They have also met with their shelter teams, Emergency Operations Center team, the National Weather Service and others to prepare.

"We are putting all our plans in place, making sure they are all up to date, ready to go," Hatfield said.

Emergency Management is planning to open a shelter Thursday. It will partially activate Wednesday night and fully activate by Thursday.

"That means somebody from my office will be here in the Emergency Operations Center throughout the night managing the storm," Hatfield said.

The biggest concerns for the county are falling trees and river flooding, Hatfield said.

"We are going to have some impact, not like we would at the coast, of course, but possibly seven to 10 inches [of rain] here in the county. Very strong winds, which of course will bring down trees and cause the power to go out," Hatfield said. "We will have to worry about our low-lying areas. We do have the Haw River area, the bridge, Swepsonville. It is basically around the river and the bridges."

Citizens' tips

Mills released a statement Monday urging citizens to sign up to receive emergency alerts from public safety agencies.

Visit www.alamance-nc.com/em/get-alerts/ or text ALAMANCE to 888777.

Alamance County also provided a breakdown of essential items citizens should have in preparation for Hurricane Florence.

"Emergency Management advises residents to prepare by updating their emergency plans and supply kits. Gather important documents, such as copy of driver's licenses, insurance policies, medical records and bank account statements, and put them somewhere for easy access in case of emergency," the county said in a press release.

An emergency kit should include:

* Enough nonperishable food and water to last each family member for three to seven days;

* A first-aid kit;

* Weather radio and batteries;

* Prescription medicines;

* Sleeping bags or blankets;

* Changes of clothes;

* Hygiene items, including toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and deodorant;

* Cash; and

* Pet supplies -- food, water, bedding, leashes, muzzles and vaccination records.

Citizens are urged also not to go outside during the storm.

The city and county will release more information and updates on the hurricane as it becomes available. More information and overall emergency preparedness can be found on the ReadyNC mobile app and online at www.ReadyNC.org. Additional information can be found at www.ncdps.gov/florence.

Reporter Kate Croxton can be reached at [email protected] or 336-506-3078. Follow her on Twitter at @katecroxtonBTN.

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