POLLOCKSVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) – Thursday marked the start of the hurricane season. Although it’s just getting started, people in Eastern North Carolina have lots of reminders to plan ahead of a storm.
In Jones County, hurricanes have hit them hard in the past. Going forward, they’re getting all their plans ready before the next one hits.
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Historic North Carolina Hurricanes
“September 2018, a very bad day for our town. A lot of flooding, a lot of devastation,” said one Pollocksville resident, Darrell Bell, about when Hurricane Florence hit. “When your refrigerator’s floating around your living room, it’s not a good sight.”
Residents still think back to how hard they were hit by Hurricane Florence, which many are still recovering from.
“I still have seen it in downtown Pollocksville, where we can see the waterline from Florence almost five years ago. So everybody is at risk across Eastern North Carolina,” said Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service, Erik Heden.
The National Weather Service wants to remind people that not only the coastal towns can be severely damaged, but inland areas can be as well.
“Getting that hurricane kit ready, at least three days, food, water, and medicine. If possible, try to stretch it to a week, be sure to include your pets, everybody in your household,” said Heden.
He said you should also be thinking of your plans for where to go.
“If we get a storm, you can just enact what you need to do. ‘I’m staying home, I’ve got my kit, I’m ready to go. I need shelter, this is where I need to go.’ Or ‘I need to evacuate inland, this is where I would go’,” said Heden.
Jones County Emergency Services said they’re gearing up as well.
“We’ve enhanced planning and exercising those plans that plays a key role in how we execute during a real-life event,” said Jones County Emergency Services Director Ryan Mills. “Learning from past events makes you grow and be more prepared for the future.”
