Curfews to be established for Dare County; Emergency Management urges prompt evacuation

The Dare County Control Group met on Wednesday morning and determined that curfews will be needed to ensure public safety. Exact timing for implementation of curfews and any additional prohibitions and restrictions will be made after considering updates from the National Weather Service later today and Thursday.

Dare County is now under a Hurricane Warning and a Storm Surge Warning. Hurricane Dorian is a dangerous and serious threat for all of Dare County. The mandatory evacuation order remains in effect for all visitors and residents. Emergency Management strongly urges everyone to heed the warning and evacuate today. Those who do not evacuate should be prepared to sustain themselves for at least 72 hours. Emergency personnel will not be able to respond to calls for help during the flooding and high winds that are expected during this storm.

The risk of life-threatening storm surge, ocean overwash, soundside flooding, heavy rainfall and high winds will make roadways impassable, possibly for days or longer. Highway 12 on Hatteras Island is especially vulnerable to flooding and will likely become compromised and impassable as conditions deteriorate.

North Carolina Emergency Management has opened shelters in other areas of the state, including locations that are pet-friendly. For updated shelter information, visit https://www.ncdps.gov/storm-shelters. There are no emergency shelters in Dare County.

The ban on ocean swimming will remain in place until the storm has passed. Stay out of the water as it is unsafe for even the most experienced swimmers.

Dare County  Updates

Dare County offices close at 12:00 p.m. today.

Garbage collection is cancelled until further notice.

All Criminal, Civil and Magistrates Court scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday have been cancelled. New court dates will be scheduled and notifications sent out on or after Monday, September 9. To view your new court date and sign up for alerts you can check the web at https://www.nccourts.gov/court-dates after Monday September 9.

The Dare County Libraries in Hatteras, Manteo and Kill Devil Hills will close at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday and will remain closed until further notice. Please note that no overdue fines will be charged on any materials for days the libraries are closed. If we have requested materials waiting for customer pick up, we will continue to hold them for the first three business days after we reopen.

Please do not use the book drops outside the Dare County Libraries, or at Southern Shores Town Hall, Nags Head Town Hall, Fessenden Center in Buxton or Rodanthe. During a storm, wind-driven rain can damage library books and other materials placed inside a book drop.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore Updates

All visitor centers, facilities and off-road vehicle ramps and routes remain closed until further notice. Visitor services and facilities will reopen post-storm after assessments are completed.

Additional Information

For updated information from Dare County Emergency Management, the towns and the National Park Service, visit www.darenc.com/hurricanedorian.

Subscribe to receive emergency alerts via text, email or phone directly from Dare County Emergency Management at www.DareNC.com/alerts and follow @DareCountyEM on Twitter.

Monitor updated local weather forecasts from the National Weather Service at www.weather.gov/mhx.

The next update from Dare County Emergency Management will be issued on Wednesday, September 4 no later than 6:00 p.m.