H-V Emergency Operations

Hurricane Florence Updates – Sept. 14

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Updated Friday, Sept. 14 at 4 p.m.

WIZS will be bringing you updates on Hurricane Florence as new information is received. Please check the WIZS website, Facebook page and listen live to WIZS 1450 AM and 100.1 FM for updates. The latest briefing from the National Weather Service can be found by clicking here. 

-Information courtesy Brian K. Short, Director of Emergency Operations, Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations and the National Weather Service

Hurricane Florence has made landfall and continues to slow. It is expected to slowly meander southwest into and across South Carolina through the weekend.

PRIMARY THREAT: Catastrophic flash and eventually river flooding is expected to persist through the weekend and into early next week. Strong sustained winds and gusts persisting into the weekend. Strongest gusts expected across the southeastern coastal plain of NC. Risk for short-lived and weak tornadoes as the rain bands push ashore this evening through Saturday afternoon. This event is now on-going. Please heed any evacuation orders that have been issued and continue to monitor the forecast for updates.

Three Key Points

1. Wind impacts continue from Hurricane Florence today, but the primary flooding threat is just beginning as the eye continues to stall just inland.

2. Initial heavy rainfall will cause Flash Flooding (ongoing) with prolonged moderate to major river flooding continuing into next week, especially across southern and eastern N.C.

3. Travel will likely become more treacherous today and tonight thanks to flooding. Dangerous winds coupled with saturated ground will also result in downed trees which will likely culminate in widespread and prolonged power outages.

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Updated Friday, Sept. 14 at 11 a.m.

Overall, Vance County seems to be weathering the storm pretty well.

Presently, Vance County remains under a local State of Emergency.

We have one active emergency shelter located at the former Eaton Jonson Middle School building in Henderson. The shelter currently has 40 occupants and we have noticed the numbers increasing this morning. We plan to leave the shelter open throughout the day today. We may decide to close the shelter later this evening but, worst-case scenario, we should be safe to close it tomorrow morning.

Our pet shelter also remains open. Presently we are sheltering one animal whose owner is in the shelter at Eaton Johnson Middle School.

We are receiving a few calls reporting downed trees and other minor storm-related calls but nothing major so far.

According to Duke Energy, as of now, Vance County has a total of 1,052 customers without power. This is down from over 2,200 overnight.

Our E-911 center remains overstaffed and the Emergency Operations Center remains activated with EM staff only. The EOC will close once we stand down the emergency shelter.

We still anticipate gusty winds and periods of hard rain today as bands from the hurricane move through our area.

Everyone, please stay safe.

Updated Friday, Sept. 14 at 8:30 a.m.

-Information courtesy Brian K. Short, Director of Emergency Operations, Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations and the National Weather Service

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Updated Friday, Sept. 14 at 8 a.m.

Hurricane Florence has been downgraded to a category 1 storm with 90 mph winds along parts of the coast.

Vance County has experienced some periods of heavy rain at times, as well as some gusts of 35 mph but, so far, we have faired pretty well.

Presently we have 34 people in our emergency shelter at the former Eaton Johnson Middle School building on Beckford Dr. The shelter will remain open today.

We remain under a local state of emergency but, so far, we have not experienced anything major as a result of the storm.

We will continue to forward along additional updates as they are received.

Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market

Go With the ‘Flo’ – Vance Co. Farmers Market Will be Open This Sat.

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-Information courtesy Tracy Madigan, Market Manager, Vance County Regional Farmers Market

Looks like we may have dodged the wrath of Florence. Based on the forecasts for our area, it appears it will be safe for us to open this Saturday. Hopefully, our power will be on and we will be operating BAS – Business As Usual. (Check our FaceBook page Saturday morning to be sure). This means it will be the perfect opportunity for you to get out and shop for fresh local produce, meats, eggs and unique crafts. (By Saturday morning you will probably be going stir-crazy cooped up inside, so come on out and visit with us awhile.). Though it may be a bit windy and rainy, remember, our farmers market is enclosed so you will stay dry and comfortable while you shop. See you at the VCRFM on Saturday!

What You Will Find at the Market This Week

Apples, beets, butter beans, collards, cucumbers, eggs, eggplant, garlic, grapes, green beans, herbs, kale, lettuce, mixed greens, mustard greens, okra, onions, peaches, peppers, pork, potatoes, peas (crowder and purple hull), squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes (green, red and heirloom), turnips, & zucchini. You may even find watermelon!

We also have plenty of canned vegetables, honey, molasses, salsa, chow-chow, BBQ sauces, jellies, jams, soaps, bath salts, scented candles, jewelry, cupcakes and unique handmade crafts.

Anticipated Vendors – September 15

Adcock Farm 
Donation Station
Eclectic Peacock
Jerri’s Things
JW Creek Farms
LouMag Ent.
Pretty Tough Stuff
Short’s Family Farms
Vann’s Jams & Produce
Winter Soap Co.
Woodwick Designs
and perhaps a few more 
Contacts:

Market Manager: Tracy Madigan @ 252-598-0814

Extension Agent: Paul McKenzie @ 252-438-8188

VCRFM open Wednesdays & Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at 210 South Park Dr., Henderson

VCRFM Welcomes SNAP/EBT

The Farmers Market building is available for rent. Contact Annette Roberson, Vance County Cooperative Extension Center, 252-438-8188 for pricing and available dates.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

West End Baptist

West End Baptist Fish Fry Fundraiser Rescheduled

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-Information courtesy Jerry Parrish, West End Baptist Church 

Due to Hurricane Florence, West End Baptist Church has rescheduled their Fish Fry Fundraiser from Monday, September 17 to the next Monday, September 24 at 220 Seafood Restaurant from 4 to 7 p.m.

Cost is $7 per plate and dinner will include trout, slaw, french fries and hush puppies. Eat in or take out; drink with dine-in only.

All proceeds will be used to support local ministries which include ACTS, Lifeline Ministries, Rebuilding Hope and many others.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

Youth Basketball Registration at Aycock Rec. Center Ongoing Sept. 17 – Nov. 3

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-Information and flyer courtesy Tara Goolsby, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Facilities Supervisor, Aycock Recreation Center

Youth basketball registration will be held Monday, September 17 through Saturday, November 3, 2018, at the Aycock Recreation Center.

Leagues will include:

Boys and Girls Mighty Mite League – Ages 4-6

Boys Pee Wee, Midget, Junior and Senior Leagues – Ages 7-18

Girls Pee Wee, Midget Leagues – Ages 7-14

Ages are determined by January 1, 2019.

Cost to cover registration and insurance includes:

$40 for in-county residents

$30 for those who played baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball or football in the 2018 season.

$60 for out-of-county residents

For more information, please contact Steve Osborne at (252) 438-2670; sosborne@ci.henderson.nc.us or Victor Hunt at (252) 438-3408; vhunt@ci.henderson.nc.us

(This is not a paid advertisement)

VGCC Lady Vanguards Begin Home Play in Close Match With Patrick Henry CC

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College’s women’s volleyball team started the 2018 season with a close home match against Patrick Henry Community College on August 29, one of 17 matches on the full schedule.

Seven of the matches are scheduled at the Lady Vanguards’ home site, Aycock Recreation Complex. The Vanguards compete in Region X of National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III, which includes a number of community colleges in North Carolina and Virginia.

Future home matches at Aycock include a contest with Central Carolina Community College, on Thursday, September 20, at 7 p.m.; Rockingham Community College, on Thursday, September 27, at 6 p.m.; and a doubleheader with Wake Technical Community College and Northern Virginia Community College on Friday, October 12, at 3 p.m. Home games that were scheduled with Sandhills Community College on September 13 and Louisburg College on September 15 are being rescheduled because of Hurricane Florence.

Evin Swilley (6) sets the ball for her fellow Lady Vanguards in a match against the Patrick Henry Community College Patriots at Aycock Recreation Complex on Aug. 29. VGCC welcomes Central Carolina Community College to Aycock for the next home match on Thursday, Sept. 20. (Photo Credit VGCC)

The Region X tournament is slated to begin Saturday, October 20, in Sanford.

In the first home game against the Patrick Henry CC Patriots, the away team had a 3-0 victory over the Lady Vanguards. The first set of the match was a dominant 25-14 win for the Lady Patriots, but the Lady Vanguards put up two competitive matches to round out the night, falling 26-24 and 25-21. In the second match, the Lady Vanguards had built a four-point lead late in the set. In the final set, they had notched a 20-20 tie before the Lady Patriots pulled ahead.

The Lady Vanguards were led by Evin Swilley with 11 kills and five assists, and she led the scoring with 11 points. Amber Newton and Kaitlynn Cooper had 17 and 13 digs, respectively.

In the first contest of the season, the Lady Vanguards fell to Wake Tech, 25-7, 25-18 and 25-13, in the away game. Swilley had 11 digs in that match, and Cooper had 12 total attacks. Cooper led the scoring with five points.

Jessica Smith of Roxboro is in her second year as head coach of the Lady Vanguards volleyball team.

For more information on VGCC athletics, contact Jermiel Hargrove at hargrovej@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3246.

VGCC Releases Women’s 2018 Volleyball Schedule

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-Information courtesy Vance-Granville Community College

The Lady Vanguards of Vance-Granville Community College have begun their 2018 volleyball season. Seven of the matches are scheduled at the Lady Vanguards’ home site, Aycock Recreation Complex. The Vanguards compete in Region X of National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III, which includes a number of community colleges in North Carolina and Virginia.

Future home matches at Aycock include a contest with Central Carolina Community College, on Thursday, September 20, at 7 p.m.; Rockingham Community College, on Thursday, September 27, at 6 p.m.; and a doubleheader with Wake Technical Community College and Northern Virginia Community College on Friday, October 12, at 3 p.m. Home games that were scheduled with Sandhills Community College on September 13 and Louisburg College on September 15 are being rescheduled because of Hurricane Florence.

The Region X tournament is slated to begin Saturday, October 20, in Sanford.

Vance County NC

Several Vance Co. Events Canceled/Postponed Due to Hurricane

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-Information courtesy Sandra Wilkerson, Director of Admin and Events, Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce

Events postponed or canceled due to the hurricane forecast include:

Franklin-Granville-Vance Smart Start, Inc.

Ducky Derby Race

September 15; 2 p.m. – CANCELED

Garnett Street in Downtown Henderson

A drawing for prizes will be held Friday, September 21 at noon at the F-G-V Partnership office. The public is invited to attend.

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Candidates’ Meet & Greet Reception

September 18; 6 – 7:30 p.m. – CANCELED

Henderson Country Club

Ground Breaking Ceremony at Salvation Army

September 19; 10 a.m. – CANCELED

Ross Mill Road

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Franklin County Logo

Shelters Open at Louisburg Senior Center, Franklinton High School

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Update – Friday, September 14 – 11 a.m.

Shelters are currently open at the Louisburg Senior Center (127 Shannon Village) and Franklinton High School (910 Cedar Creek Road). For information about NC shelters, visit ReadyNC.org. You may also monitor https://www.franklincountync.us/alerts/hurricane-florence.

Franklin County residents are urged to sign up for Code Red alerts at https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/76FC03E45CDF.

Boyette, Thompson Warn of Cyberattacks During Hurricane Florence

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-Press Release, NC Department of Information Technology

State Chief Information Officer Eric Boyette and State Chief Risk Officer Maria Thompson are urging North Carolinians to be cautious of cybercrime before, during, and after Hurricane Florence.

Cybercriminals take advantage of natural disasters such as hurricanes to solicit personal information illegally and to take advantage of vulnerable infrastructures, disaster victims and volunteers by phishing. Phishing is when a criminal sends out an email, text message, or even a phone call pretending to be a reputable and legitimate source in order to obtain personal information such as credit card and Social Security numbers.

“Be cautious and stay vigilant,” said State Chief Risk Officer Maria Thompson. “Let’s ensure one disaster does not lead to another. Phishing threats are real. Cybercriminals will use every tactic in their arsenal to deprive citizens of their information and ultimately their financial assets.”

Take these steps to prevent being taken advantage of by cybercriminals:

  • Carefully look at email and web addresses since cybercriminals will make them look as legitimate as possible, often using variations of spellings. The URL may have a different domain, such as .gov instead of .net.
  • Do not click on links in emails from anyone unless you know and have verified the sender of the email.
  • Take time to look at the sender’s email address. Do not click on any links until you are certain the organization is real. Check the organization’s website for its contact information and use sites such as www.charitynavigator.org to verify a charity organization.
  • Make sure all of your anti-virus software is up-to-date and you’ve enacted the anti-phishing software provided by your email client.
  • Phishing emails and phone calls may also try to pose as official disaster aid organizations such as FEMA. A true FEMA representative will never ask personal banking information, Social Security number, or registration number.

“We all need to be mindful of the value of the data we have and use every day,” said Eric Boyette, State Chief Information Officer and Secretary of the Department of Information Technology. “Too many people are vulnerable during natural disasters and it is imperative to take necessary precautions to protect yourself. Think of it as preparing an emergency kit for your personal data.”

For more information about the North Carolina Department of Information Technology, visit our website or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Flickr.

Maria Parham Physician Offices Closed; Hospital Remains Open

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-Information courtesy Maria Parham Health’s website

Due to potentially dangerous travel conditions from Hurricane Florence, all Maria Parham physician practice offices are closed until Monday, September 17. The hospital, including our Emergency Department, remains open to receive and care for patients.

Please stay tuned to our Facebook page for important updates throughout the duration of the storm.