Update: New Hanover County issued mandatory evacuation orders for Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Wrightsville Beach, and Figure Eight Island midday Tuesday. Mandatory evacuations should begin Wednesday at 8 a.m. — all residents and visitors should evacuate before 8 p.m.
SOUTHEASTERN, N.C. — North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper told members of the press his office plans to issue mandatory evacuation orders for the state’s barrier islands later Tuesday evening as Hurricane Dorian lingers off the U.S. coastline.
In a visit to New Hanover County’s Emergency Operations Center, Governor Cooper told reporters that though the orders may be difficult for families, they are necessary to prevent further damages.
Latest updates: Updated Hurricane Dorian info: Evacuations, closings, shelters, hotlines, and more [Free read]
“We know it takes time to get people off these barrier islands so we want to begin the process now,” Cooper said Tuesday morning.
The governor’s office will announce specifics of the evacuation orders Tuesday evening. It is not clear exactly when the orders would go into effect. Hurricane Dorian, currently a Category 3 storm, is slowly picking up speed and heading northwest off the coast of Florida. Impacts from the storm are anticipated to hit the Cape Fear Region Wednesday evening.
“We know how frustrating, difficult, and sometimes costly evacuations can be. but the cost is so much greater with lives lost if people roll the dice,” Cooper said. “We also put our first responders in harm’s way.”
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