Sunday, July 12, 2026

Input sought on New Hanover County disaster recovery plan

New Hanover County’s department of emergency management is seeking public input on a multijurisdictional effort to develop a comprehensive disaster recovery plan.

County residents are encouraged to go to complete an online survey on the county government’s website to participate in the recovery planning process. The survey can be taken anonymously, and respondents are asked to rate the county’s ability to recover from a disaster.

The survey also asks residents to identify areas of personal need following a disaster, and to gauge their level of preparedness, according to a release from New Hanover County.

“New Hanover County is susceptible to a variety of natural hazards, including floods, hurricanes and tornadoes, as well as manmade hazards such as terrorist acts and accidental releases of hazardous materials,” the release states. “Some of these events have the capacity for catastrophic local and regional impacts.

“While the effects of disasters are wide-ranging and cannot be predicted, pre-planning can position New Hanover County to recover from a major incident,” it states. “Methodical, thoughtful pre-planning can establish priorities, decision-making structures and procedures and recovery goals. These can focus and accelerate the recovery process during the stressful and often fraught post-disaster period.”

A direct link to the survey is available here.

Lee discusses the day's events during Wednesday's exercise, which was held just days after the start of hurricane season. Forecasters are calling for 13 to 20 named storms this season, which started June 1.
County officials participated in a tabletop hurricane drill earlier this year. Hurricanes and other weather-related events are among the disasters the comprehensive plan is intended to address. File photo by Jonathan Spiers.

Related story: Emergency agencies prepare for ‘the worst’ in annual hurricane tabletop drill

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