03/29/2024
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hurricaneNC Governor Pat McCrory has declared a State of Emergency this afternoon as North Carolinians begin to make preparations for Hurricane Matthew.  The State of Emergency includes 66 counties including the entire Cape Fear region. Emergency Management officials are urging coastal North Carolina residents to begin making their preparations for the storm.

Bladen County Emergency Management Director Bradley Kinlaw said, “We have got to plan for something that we haven’t dealt with since Hurricane Floyd.”

As of the 5 p.m. the National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Matthew is still a category 4 storm and is located at 16.3N, 74.7 W and moving northward at 7 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds at 140 miles per hour.

Kinlaw said that right now residents need to take this storm seriously and pay close attention to the forecast. Kinlaw said people need to begin making necessary preparations such as ensuring you have enough medicines to last for several days, preparing to be without power for several days or a week, and preparing for a significant amount of rainfall and high winds.

Kinlaw said there is still a lot of uncertainty with the forecast; however, the National Weather Service is forecasting rainfall amounts between three to five inches and tropical storm force winds extend out 200 miles from the storm’s center.

“The ground right now is saturated and there is going to be a lot of trees down (due to the strong winds),” said Kinlaw.

He said now is the time to begin making your preparations. Kinlaw said folks need to begin to gathering non-perishable food items and bottled water. Kinlaw said you should have a minimum one gallon of water per person per day.

Some websites Bladen County residents may helpful include ReadyNC.org

For tips on generators, read here.

Kinlaw said to monitor local media outlets for updates, shelter information and other emergency information.

 

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