Dare County Emergency Management urges residents and visitors to prepare for Hurricane Isaias

Dare County Emergency Management continues to closely monitor Hurricane Isaias and is advising residents and visitors to begin implementing their hurricane preparedness plans.

Local officials will confer on Saturday morning to determine whether protective measures are necessary to ensure public safety. Based on the current forecast, visitors scheduled to travel to the Outer Banks this weekend are advised to closely watch updated information from the National Weather Service Center and consider delaying arrival until after the storm has passed.

“Dare County is likely to experience impacts from the storm as early as Sunday evening, August 2,” said Dare County Emergency Management Director Drew Pearson. “Now is the time to assemble or restock your disaster supply kit with essentials to sustain your family and your pets for three to five days. Have your evacuation plan ready to execute.”

Should an evacuation order become necessary, it will be important to allow extra time to evacuate. In light of COVID-19 and with social distancing measures in place, state sheltering options will be limited. As always, you are better off locating shelter with family or friends outside the expected danger zone or stay at an accommodation of your choice.

Over the next few days, rough seas and strong rip currents will create dangerous conditions for beachgoers that will continue through next week. Even the most experienced swimmers should exercise caution to ensure their personal safety. For local beach conditions, visit www.weather.gov/beach/mhx.

To access updated information from Dare County, visit www.darenc.com/isaias.

For preparedness information, visit www.readync.org.

Monitor local weather reports at www.weather.gov/mhx, sign up to receive alerts directly from Emergency Management at www.darenc.com/alerts and follow @DareCountyEM on Twitter.

Dare County Emergency Management will continue to monitor the storm and provide updates as needed. The next update will be issued no later than Saturday, August 1 at 12:00 p.m.