NORTH CAROLINA — Following Monday’s storm and catastrophic flooding to multiple areas in southeastern North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency for four counties.
READ MORE: With few answers, NCDOT asks for patience as it works toward opening collapsed roadways
It affects Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus and New Hanover counties.
Tropical Cyclone Eight dumped upward of 20 inches of rain in the region in a short timespan and the state of emergency will provide additional assistance for recovery efforts.
“I urge North Carolinians across the state to remain cautious as many roads are still dangerous,” Cooper wrote in a statement Tuesday.
The order will institute the State Emergency Operations Plan and allows for the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety the authority to ensure the protection and safety to area residents.
NCDOT is urging motorists to stay off the roads as they continue to assess and make repairs. The governor’s office indicated in its release Tuesday that 52 roads in 12 counties were closed. This includes eight primary routes , the majority in Brunswick County, such as portions of U.S. 17, N.C. 211 and N.C. 133.
The state of emergency already follows multiple ones signed at county and municipality levels, including Brunswick County’s unincorporated areas, Boiling Springs Lakes, Oak Island, Southport, Saint James, Sandy Creek, Bolivia, Bald Head Island and Varnamtown.
There are shelters open in Brunswick County at South Brunswick Middle School and Bolivia Elementary School. American Red Cross opened a shelter at the Brunswick Center in Leland (121 Town Hall Dr.) and will connect people to resources as needed.
The American Red Cross opened a shelter on Pleasure Island in New Hanover County; however, Tuesday it was turned into a reception center. There will be free cleanup kits, to include bleach, trash bags, gloves, insect repellent, a push broom and bucket, for residents that need help clearing debris and damage to property. Its hours will be Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In addition to the governor’s state of emergency, all legal filings for cases in Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover and Pender counties courts have been given extended periods of limitations. It applies to motions, pleadings, notices and other documents to filed between Sept. 16 and 20. Chief Justice Paul Newby signed an order allowing them to be considered timely when filed by Sept. 23.
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