Thankfully, due to the projected course that Hurricane Matthew is slated to take, we here in Elizabethtown and Bladen County will be spared a direct hit of the storm’s effect. Hurricane Matthew is still a very large and powerful storm and we expect the impacts to be felt far away. Review your emergency plans with your family and update or restock supplies in your emergency kits. Citizens are urged to remain indoors and to use caution at all times during the storm event.
Emergency Management personnel of the Town of Elizabethtown will be on hand throughout the storm event. If you have an emergency, call 911. After the storm passes, the Town’s Street Department will begin the clean-up process.
Should the hurricane make landfall and cause extensive damage, there will be Town staff available to answer non-emergency calls. The phone number for all non-emergency matters is 910-862-2066.
Emergency shelters are being prepared at the following locations: East Bladen High School, West Bladen High School and there will be a pet-friendly shelter at West Bladen as well, Bladen Lakes Primary School and East Arcadia Annex of Bladen Community College at Riegelwood.
Duke Energy customers can report electrical emergencies such as downed lines and poles by calling 800-419-6356 and the website is: www.duke-energy.com/outages.
As Hurricane Matthew nears our area with tropical storm force winds, we urge citizens to remain diligent in monitoring and preparing for the storm over the next several days.
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