Roy Cooper: ‘Expect Flooding and Potential Landslides Beginning Tonight and Continuing into Monday’
RUSH EXCERPT:
COOPER: "Remember, most storm deaths occur from drowning in fresh water, often in cars. Don’t drive across standing or moving water. Emergency management is sharing flood projections with local officials. If they tell you to evacuate, please do so immediately. It could save your life. The storm has claimed numerous lives already. Five deaths have been confirmed as related to the storm, and several others are under investigation. Loss of life is heartbreaking and we’ll continue to pray for the victims and their family. In every hour first responders are preventing more deaths. We now have a little over 20,000 people in 157 shelters with room for more. If those shelters fill up, we will establish more shelters. More than 800,000 people throughout the state are currently without power and utility crews are beginning to work now to restore electricity to people. Overnight and into this morning more rescues are continuing across eastern North Carolina. We are so grateful to these rescue teams W’s risked their lives to save others and they have come from all over the country to work with our local, state and federal partners. Recovery teams are now ready with new authorization from FEMA. Last night our major federal disaster declaration for an initial round of counties was approved. That authorizes immediate FEMA assistance in Beaufort, craven, cardrat, New Haven, pamlico and Pender counties. And we expect more counties and we appreciate the quick turn around by FEMA. I want to again warn residents of the mountains and the rest of North Carolina, especially the southern Piedmont. Heavy rain is predicted still, Fayetteville, west of Charlotte and the mountains, expect flooding and potential landslides beginning tonight and continuing into Monday. Some of the areas will be impacted that have rarely experienced any flooding. Get prepared and stay alert for forecast updates and emergency evacuation orders. Finally, please be safe and be smart and use your common sense. Don’t drive through water, no matter how confident you feel or how much you want to get out of the house. Roads are closed in many places and more are closing even as we speak. Secretary trogdan will inform you about the closings, when you’re out there you’re impeding emergency vehicles, you’re impeding utility crews who are trying to restore power, so don’t get out, particularly in southeastern North Carolina. Don’t operate a generator indoors. Be alert for warnings and flash floods, tornados, high winds. And if you need nonemergency help, dial 211."
