UPDATE 9/5/2019 8:00am:

At 800 AM EDT (1200 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Dorian was located directly off the coast of Charleston, moving toward the north-northeast near 8 mph (13 km/h). A turn toward the northeast and a faster forward speed is forecast tonight and tomorrow n Friday. The center of Dorian will continue to move close to the coast of South Carolina today, and then move over the coast of North Carolina tonight and Friday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 115 mph (185 km/h) with higher gusts. Dorian is a category 3 hurricane. Some fluctuations in intensity are expected this morning, followed by slow weakening. Dorian is expected to remain a hurricane through the weekend.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles (315 km).

Original Article: 

Hurricane Dorian has just begun its turn toward the north and along the East Coast. The latest forecast now shows the storm making it’s first US landfall in North Carolina.

This morning at 11am, the National Hurricane Center released the following update:

“At 1100 AM EDT (1500 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Dorian was located near latitude 27.1 North, longitude 78.6 West. Dorian is moving toward the northwest near 2 mph (4 km/h), and a slightly faster motion toward the northwest or north-northwest is expected later today and tonight. A turn toward the north is forecast by Wednesday evening, followed by a turn toward the north-northeast Thursday morning. On this track, the core of extremely dangerous Hurricane Dorian will gradually move north of Grand Bahama Island through this evening. The hurricane will then move dangerously close to the Florida east coast late today through Wednesday evening, very near the Georgia and South Carolina coasts Wednesday night and Thursday, and near or over the North Carolina coast late Thursday and Thursday night.”

Due to the Westward shifted forecast, “THE STORM SURGE WATCH HAS BEEN EXTENDED NORTHWARD TO CAPE LOOKOUT NORTH CAROLINA.”

According to Ventusky.com, the eye-wall of the storm is shown making initial landfall near Wilmington, NC at around 5pm on Thursday evening;

Several areas around Myrtle Beach and Wilmington are are now expected to see storm surges in excess of 9 feet within the next 3 days;

The official 2019 S.C. Hurricane Guide is available at scemd.org and the N.C. Hurricane Guide is available at readync.org.

Both guides recommend having the following emergency items stocked in your home (available via 2-day shipping on Amazon.com if your local store has already been cleaned out);

• Car charger for cell phones and other devices
• Clean drinking water (recommended 1 gallon per person per day, minimum three days)
• Flashlights 
• Batteries: Extra batteries for all of your devices
• Weather radio/clock
• Non-perishable food
• First aid kit

In addition, it’s recommended that residents along the coast fill their bath tubs and washing machines with clean water in case of flooding.

While no one is immune from the devastation of a natural disaster, preparing before a storm hits is key to keeping everyone in your family—including your pets—safe.

Here are six ideas to keep in mind for your pet as you map out your disaster preparedness plan.

• Have your pet microchipped. In the event of an emergency—natural or otherwise—you want to ensure your pet can get back to you if you’re separated. Collars and ID tags, though important, can break or detach. Pet microchips—computerized and scannable implants about the size of a grain of rice—are more fool-proof since they’re inserted under your pet’s skin.

• Bring your pets inside at the first sign of danger. Disasters can be disorienting for pets, and they could run away or hurt themselves reacting to loud noises and strange changes to their landscape. Also, rain, flying debris and high winds pose a danger.

• If you have to leave, keep your pet with you. Leaving your pets behind during a natural disaster is never a good idea because they could escape or become exposed to a number of life-threatening hazards. Keep them on a leash or in a pet carrier so they don’t escape even in a “familiar” neighborhood.

• Determine where you’ll go. Coordinate, in advance, to stay with friends or family members, or find a pet- friendly hotel outside the disaster area. Have those conversations and do your research well ahead of time so you have a plan in place when needed.

• Create a pet-friendly resource list. Not all emergency shelters will accept pets, so you need a Plan B. Develop a list of the pet-friendly hotels outside your immediate area. Research a list of veterinarians in the area should your pet need medical care (your regular vet may have some recommendations). Also, figure out which boarding facilities are nearby in case you need to separate from your pet for a time.

• Pack an emergency bag. You’ll want emergency provisions packed for your pet well in advance of a catastrophe so you can evacuate your home quickly if needed. Choose an easy-to-carry bag, label it and keep it where everyone in the family can find it quickly. The bag should include a pet first aid kit; enough food and bottled water for a week (rotate this every couple of months to keep it from going bad); medications (check periodically to ensure medicines in your emergency bag don’t expire); cleanup supplies; food and water dishes; bags (or litter for cats) for collecting waste; an extra collar and leash; photocopies of medical records; towels; recent photos of your pets; and a favorite toy or chewy for comfort. It’s also a good idea to have a sturdy carrier or crate for each pet. “

What’s good for us is good for our pets,” said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), an international trade association representing power equipment, small engine, utility vehicle, golf car and personal transport vehicle manufacturers and suppliers. “My dog is a member of the family, so we have a plan for keeping him safe in the event of an emergency, and we encourage all pet parents to do the same.”

By having all this in place, you can immediately put your pet preparedness plan into action when you know a storm is coming instead of spending valuable time trying to determine what needs to be done to best protect your pet.

UPDATE 9/5/2019 8:00am:

At 800 AM EDT (1200 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Dorian was located directly off the coast of Charleston, moving toward the north-northeast near 8 mph (13 km/h). A turn toward the northeast and a faster forward speed is forecast tonight and tomorrow n Friday. The center of Dorian will continue to move close to the coast of South Carolina today, and then move over the coast of North Carolina tonight and Friday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 115 mph (185 km/h) with higher gusts. Dorian is a category 3 hurricane. Some fluctuations in intensity are expected this morning, followed by slow weakening. Dorian is expected to remain a hurricane through the weekend.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles (315 km).

UPDATE 9/3/2019 11:00am:

This morning at 11am, the National Hurricane Center released the following update:

“At 1100 AM EDT (1500 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Dorian was located near latitude 27.1 North, longitude 78.6 West. Dorian is moving toward the northwest near 2 mph (4 km/h), and a slightly faster motion toward the northwest or north-northwest is expected later today and tonight. A turn toward the north is forecast by Wednesday evening, followed by a turn toward the north-northeast Thursday morning. On this track, the core of extremely dangerous Hurricane Dorian will gradually move north of Grand Bahama Island through this evening. The hurricane will then move dangerously close to the Florida east coast late today through Wednesday evening, very near the Georgia and South Carolina coasts Wednesday night and Thursday, and near or over the North Carolina coast late Thursday and Thursday night.”

Due to the Westward shifted forecast, “THE STORM SURGE WATCH HAS BEEN EXTENDED NORTHWARD TO CAPE LOOKOUT NORTH CAROLINA.”

According to Ventusky.com, the eye-wall of the storm is shown making initial landfall near Wilmington, NC at around 5pm on Thursday evening;

Several areas around Myrtle Beach and Wilmington are are now expected to see storm surges in excess of 9 feet within the next 3 days;

UPDATE 9/1/2019 2:00pm:

The historic Category 5 Hurricane Dorian just made landfall in the Bahamas with 185 mph sustained winds and gusts over 220 mph in Elbow Cay, Abacos.

“This is tied for the strongest Atlantic hurricane landfall on record with the 1935 Labor Day hurricane,” according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm is now producing 18 to 23 feet storm surges with even higher waves.

Update 8/31/2019 8:00am:

There’s been a notable change overnight to the forecast of Hurricane Dorian after Tuesday. The Category 4 storm is now expected to avoid making landfall in Florida and possibly make first contact on the South Carolina coast.

Original article:

A State of Emergency has just been declared for North Carolina due to the possible impact of Hurricane Dorian next week.

“As Hurricane Dorian approaches, North Carolina is under a state of emergency and our price gouging law is in effect,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “It is illegal to charge excessive prices during a state of emergency. If you see a business taking advantage of this storm, let my office know so we can hold them accountable and protect you from price gougers.”

The National Hurricane Center just released the following public advisory:

Data from the NOAA Hurricane Hunters indicate that Dorian has
strengthened to an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane with
maximum sustained winds near 130 mph (215 km/h).

According to Ventusky.com, the eye of Hurricane Dorian should hit the coast of North Carolina on the afternoon of Thursday, September 5th.

The National Hurricane Center is forecasting the storm to make initial impact near West Palm Beach, FL, then hug the coast until it reaches the Outer Banks of North Carolina next week.

North Carolina’s Department of Emergency Management is recommending having emergency supplies ready before the storm hits.

Heading into the weekend, we are watching Hurricane #Dorian. Even though its forecast track directly impacts FL, it is always a good idea to be aware of storms and to stock up emergency kits. Keep an eye on our channels for updates and visit https://t.co/FJNQAdJCes for tips. pic.twitter.com/LPonoqq6cL

— NC Emergency Managem (@NCEmergency) August 30, 2019

In case of a power outage, make sure to have the following emergency items stocked in your home (available via 2-day shipping on Amazon.com if your local store has already been cleaned out);

• Car charger for cell phones and other devices
• Clean drinking water (recommended 1 gallon per person per day, minimum three days)
• Flashlights 
• Batteries: Extra batteries for all of your devices
• Weather radio/clock
• Non-perishable food
• First aid kit

We will continue to update this article as Tropical Storm Dorian develops. 

Pokey Harris, executive director of the North Carolina 911 Board, today announced the board has approved a total of $10.5 million in grants from the state’s 911 Fund for six counties and the State Highway Patrol for enhancements to 911 centers and emergency management equipment. The grants will support improvements such as radio and dispatch upgrades, new 911 centers (public service answering points, or PSAPs), and migration to ESInet, which will support text-to-911 and improved call routing.

“The Board is proud to support the state’s PSAPs and to improve the state’s 911 capabilities,” Harris said. “It’s through grant programs such as this that we keep North Carolina’s 911 centers on the forefront of technology to better serve and protect our residents.”

The grant recipients include:

The N.C. General Assembly created the 911 Board in 2007 to manage both landline and wireless 911 services in North Carolina. A single, statewide service charge per connection for any type of voice communication service provider goes to the 911 Fund to support equipment purchases for all 911 centers in the state. The N.C. 911 Board is part of the N.C. Department of Information Technology and Secretary Eric Boyette serves as its chair.