LAURINBURG — County and city officials, along with emergency personnel, gathered at the Emergency Operations Center on Thursday morning to discuss preparation for Hurricane Dorian, but the update showed that not muchh as changed concerning the storm’s impact here.
Scotland County should see between 2 and 6 inches of rain with winds getting up to 30 to 50 miles per hour. According to the National Weather Service out of Raleigh, the storm will be worse from midnight until the early morning hours Friday. The weather will be back to clear skies and near 90 degrees on Saturday.
According to Scotland County Emergency Services Director Roylin Hammond, the county isn’t worried about the storm and are just sitting and waiting for it to pass. He did add that, until the storm passes, there will be someone in the EOC 24 hours a day.
“Right now we’re encouraging people to stay and shelter in place, but if they feel more comfortable at a family member’s home to shelter there,” Hammond said. “Wherever they feel safe and secure we’re encouraging them to stay there.”
The county is currently under a tropical storm warning and flash flood watch. Despite being under the flash flood watch officials with the National Weather Service believe that, east of Interstate 95, while there will be some rise in rivers and other bodies of water there will not be flooding. There isn’t a tornado warning for the county but, towards the coast — including in Pender and Bladen counties — there have been several sightings.
Hammond added that he recommends people not leave their homes until all the roads have been cleared and it’s safe to go out. He also said there doesn’t appear to be a current need to open a shelter.
“People should be taking shelter and staying away from powerlines and using common sense — it’s going to be just like a really bad thunderstorm,” Hammond said. “Even after the wind stops there could be power outages and the roads could be blocked, so we’re encouraging people to just stay home unless it is absolutely necessary to leave.”
He also recommends that, if residents experience a power outage, to call their utility providers whose numbers are as follows:
— City of Laurinburg 910-276-2364
— Duke Energy Progress 1-800-419-6356
— Lumbee River Electric 910-843-4131
— Pee Dee Electric 1-800-693-0190
— Piedmont Natural Gas 1-800-752-7504
— AT&T Telephone 1-877-737-2478
— Spectrum 1-866-892-7201
Another briefing on the storm will be held at the EOC at 5:30 Thursday afternoon.
Reach Katelin Gandee at 910-506-3171 or at kgandee@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com
