The sun was shining bright Tuesday as the mercury reached 90 degrees in Sampson County, belying the inclement weather the dreaded Dorian has threatened for North Carolina. No strangers to the calm before the storm, county residents rushed to local stores on hurricane preparation errands, as local officials made announcements that school and government offices would be closing this week as local shelters open.
States of Emergency declarations were made by Sampson and Duplin leaders, which came with details on voluntary evacuations. Shelters in both counties will open at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
A State of Emergency proclamation for Sampson County noted that the impending storm “is likely to be preceded, accompanied and followed by high winds and rains of such severity as to be capable of causing significant damage; and the weather conditions associated with the storm are anticipated to be such as to constitute an imminent threat of damage, injury or loss of life or property.”
Clark H. Wooten, chairman of the Sampson County Board of Commissioners, proclaimed the State of Emergency in Sampson, directing all emergency management personnel to cooperate in the implementation of the provisions of the county’s Emergency Management Plan.
“A voluntary evacuation order is in effect for all people residing in or visiting Franklin Township in the area located south of NC Highway 411 from the Town of Harrells to the Clear Run area as well as the area south of NC Highway 41,” the proclamation read.
The voluntary evacuation was to be effective at 8 a.m. Wednesday, and remain in effect until rescinded or superseded by another state of emergency proclamation.
Clinton City Schools and Sampson County Schools will operate on a normal schedule Wednesday, but all after-school activities were cancelled. Schools will be closed for students and staff Thursday. The same is true for Sampson Community College, Harrells Christian Academy and Mintz Christian Academy. Respective announcements regarding potential Friday closures were expected to come Thursday as the local damage is assessed.
Duplin County Schools was to dismiss early Wednesday and opted to go ahead and cancel school for the rest of the week.
Across Sampson County, people were flocking to stores Tuesday to purchase water, generators, batteries, flashlights and nonperishable food items, as well as gassing up their vehicles. The Sampson County Emergency Operations Center was partially activated on Tuesday, and was to move to full activation as of 5 p.m. on Wednesday when the shelters open.
“Obviously, we’re anticipating a significant amount of rain, which always seems to cause downed trees and power outages,” said Susan Holder, public information officer for Sampson County.
A Tropical Storm Watch was in effect for Sampson starting Tuesday, meaning tropical storm-force winds are possible somewhere over the next two days. The forecast for Thursday morning until Friday morning was for sustained winds between 35-45 mph, with gusts up to 60-70 mph.
Anywhere from 3-7 inches of rain is expected for Sampson, according to the National Weather Service.
Practically parking over a portion of the Bahamas for a day and a half, Dorian pounded the northern islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama with winds up to 185 mph and torrential rain before finally moving into open waters Tuesday on a course for Florida. Its winds were down to a still-dangerous 110 mph.
Over 2 million people along the coast in Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina were warned to evacuate. While the threat of a direct hit on Florida had all but evaporated, Dorian was expected to pass dangerously close to Georgia and South Carolina — and perhaps strike North Carolina — on Thursday or Friday.
The coastline from north of West Palm Beach, Florida, through Georgia was expected to get 3 to 6 inches of rain, with 9 inches in places, while the Carolinas could get 5 to 10 inches and 15 in spots, the National Hurricane Center said.
Holder said Sampson County employees were already beginning their transition into their emergency roles, as defined by a recently-approved operations plan.
“We have accelerated training, including for our shelter chiefs,” Holder noted.
Sampson County offices were to close at noon Wednesday to allow employees to report to their emergency assignments. General population shelters will be opened at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the following locations:
• Clinton High School, 340 Indian Town Road, Clinton
• Union High School, 1189 Kader Merritt Road, Rose Hill
• Hobbton Middle School, 12081 Hobbton Highway, Newton Grove
• Midway High School, 15274 Spivey’s Corner Highway, Dunn
• Lakewood High School, 245 Lakewood School Road, Salemburg
Those persons coming to the shelter should bring identification, bedding (blanket/pillow), medicines, snack foods or special dietary food supplies, personal hygiene items, and flashlights. Those with small children should bring baby food/formula and other baby supplies.
Chargers for mobile phone and electronic devices are recommended, but access to power sources may be limited.
Transportation to the shelters, particularly for the elderly and disabled, will be available through Sampson Area Transportation, unless worsening weather conditions necessitate that such services cease. Those with transportation needs should call 910-299-0127 and ask for the transportation branch.
A special needs shelter will be open at Adult Day Health Center 210 Fisher Drive, Clinton, and a pet shelter will open at the Sampson County Animal Shelter, 168 Agriculture Place, Clinton.
Service animals are allowed at general population shelters; however, other pets are not. Emergency pet sheltering will be available for the cats and dogs of those persons who are planning to take shelter at one of the county’s general population shelters.
Those who wish to have their pet sheltered must produce a valid photo ID and have proof that the animal’s rabies vaccinations are current. If they are not, vaccinations will be made available at a cost to the owner, with fees paid at the time the pet is presented for sheltering. The pet shelter will have cages, food and water. Animals will be registered, photographed, and an ID tag placed on the pet before they are placed in a cage for their safety.
Pet shelter space is limited, so it is only available for animals of those persons seeking refuge at a county shelter.
In Duplin County, shelters will be opening at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the following locations:
• Wallace-Rose Hill High School, 602 High School Road, Teachey
• Beulaville Elementary School, 138 Lyman Road, Beulaville
• North Duplin Elementary School, 157 N. Duplin School Road, Mt. Olive
• James Kenan High School, 1241 NC 24 and 50 Hwy, Warsaw
Shelters will remain open during the storm, and are anticipated to close at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6.
James Kenan High School is a pet-friendly facility; however, space for pets is limited. Pet owners should bring a kennel for their pet, along with pet food, medications, and other necessary pet supplies. Pets will be housed indoors, but in a separate location from shelter occupants.
In a statement released Tuesday, Duke Energy stated that nearly 9,000 field personnel were ready to restore power after Hurricane Dorian moves out of the Carolinas later this week. That number includes an extra 4,000 field personnel from 23 states and Canada being moved in to supplement the 5,000 Duke Energy line workers and tree personnel already in the Carolinas.
Before power can be restored, crews first must assess the extent of damage — which can sometimes take 24 hours or more — to determine which crews, equipment and supplies are needed before repairs can begin. Crews will also work to restore power while damage assessment occurs as conditions allows, Duke officials said.
In advance of the hurricane, everyone should stay tuned to local news for the latest advisories from the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center, as well as state and local emergency management officials.
