-Press Release, County of Granville

The Granville County Emergency Management team held an emergency briefing on Tuesday morning in anticipation of Hurricane Florence.  Assembled to hear an update from Director Doug Logan and to share information and resources were representatives of local fire departments, law enforcement, EMS and animal control, as well as city and town managers, county staff and elected officials.

“We all have one goal,” Logan remarked, “and that’s to keep our residents safe.”

Hurricane Florence, a category 4 storm as of Tuesday, has been tracked for the past several days and is expected to make landfall sometime Thursday night or Friday morning near the Wilmington area before moving inland. It is predicted that the Granville County area will be pounded with 10 to 12 inches of rain as a result. Widespread power outages are also anticipated.

In a videotaped announcement shared on social media on Monday afternoon, Logan – flanked by members of local law enforcement – stressed the severity and strength of this storm, urging all Granville County residents to begin making preparations and an emergency plan. That urging was repeated at Tuesday’s briefing as a preliminary outline was shared with emergency responders and community leaders, along with a request for everyone to “be on the same page.”

“Our message to residents is, if you feel safe at home, then, by all means, please stay there and make preparations now,” Logan stated. “If you don’t feel safe at home, seek shelter with another family member or friend first. If you can afford it, hotels are also available.  If none of those options work for you and your situation, then make plans to stay in an American Red Cross Shelter during this storm.”

Because of its number of interior hallways and minimum amount of windows, Northern Granville Middle School in Oxford has been designated as an emergency shelter for Granville County residents and will open on Thursday morning at 10 a.m. Anyone choosing to stay in the shelter is requested to bring blankets, sleeping bags, flashlights and any essentials that will be needed.  Cots will be assigned on a first come, first served basis.

“Don’t expect anything but a roof over your head,” Logan explained. “And please bring anything that you and your family members may need for several days.”

Logan also reminds residents that it takes time to mobilize emergency efforts after the storm has struck and to make plans to be “on their own” for about 72 hours. “Preparation and a little common sense will go a long way,” he said Tuesday.

A reminder was also offered to call 911 only in the case of an emergency.

“Please don’t call 911 unless you need immediate emergency assistance,” Logan said. “If you power goes out, for example, 911 is not the number to call. Please remember that we need to use our resources in the most practical ways we can.”

In case of power outages, residents should call Duke Energy, Wake Electric or Piedmont Electric, depending on where electrical services for homes and businesses come from. For Duke Energy customers, that number is 1-800-POWER ON. Wake Electric customers should call 1-800-743-3155 and those using Piedmont Electric should call 1-800-449-2667 or 1-800-222-3107 to report an outage.

Granville County Public School administrators also attended Tuesday morning’s briefing and have made plans to close schools on Thursday and Friday. All school functions and activities are scheduled as usual until Wednesday at 5 p.m. Stan Winborne, Public Information Officer and Executive Director of Operations, encourages all GCPS families to stay informed through the school system’s automated calling service as to when schools will re-open after the storm hits and any possible damage is assessed.

In the meantime, Logan reminds all residents to be smart, be safe and to stay informed through radio alerts and through official social media sites, and to share accurate information. Updates are continually posted on the United Way’s ‘Connect Granville’ Facebook page, as well as Granville County Government online sites. The CodeRED alert system will also be utilized for emergency notifications.

“Priorities should be for the safety of your family, your neighbors and your pets,” Logan said. “We will work together to do everything we can and will continue to do so through this process.”