Governor declares state of emergency
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on October 4, 2016 9:57 AM
Gov. Pat McCrory issued a state of emergency Monday for 66 counties, including Wayne, in an effort to get emergency personnel and supplies in place and assist farmers needing to harvest crops.
The declaration for central and eastern North Carolina was made Monday afternoon as Hurricane Matthew, a major Category 4 storm, threatened Cuba and Haiti with maximum sustained winds of 140 miles per hour, said Keith Sherburn, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Raleigh.
The storm strengthened in intensity overnight, threatening Haiti with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. The track shifted closer to the Southeast coast, increasing the chance for some impact to central North Carolina, NWS reports.
As the track of the storm remains uncertain, the greatest impact is expected in coastal areas and the Outer Banks, Sherburn said. The hurricane could continue in intensity or weaken and either make landfall or skirt the coast, Sherburn said.
"I think the concern now is heavy rains," Sherburn said. "There's certainly a concern for the heavy rain threat, especially if it moves westward.
"If it started to impact North Carolina, it would be late in the week and mostly on Saturday afternoon."
Increased rainfall, with already saturated soils, could contribute to snapped or toppled trees, Sherburn said. High water levels in streams and rivers could also contribute to flash flooding and dangerous road conditions.
"While we do not yet know how Hurricane Matthew will impact North Carolina, we do know that we can expect some form of impacts to our state," McCrory said. "Already, we've seen substantial flooding in eastern and central parts of the state from recent rain events, and many areas are already saturated.
"We are taking this storm seriously, and I encourage residents and visitors to do the same."
McCrory signed the executive orders Monday at the request of Agricultural Commission Steve Troxler, in an effort to assist farmers needing to expedite the harvesting of crops.
Crops of concern from storm-related damage include cotton, corn, peanuts, tobacco, sweet potatoes and soybeans, McCrory said.
"This is a crucial time of the year for these crops, and we want to do everything we can to help those farmers," McCrory said.
The governor signed an executive order Monday that waives truck weight, size and hours-of-service restrictions to allow for the easy transport of agricultural vehicles as well as utility trucks and other supply vehicles.
Federal Emergency Management Agency teams arrived in Raleigh Monday and state Emergency Management teams started preliminary preparations.
Area counties included in the state of emergency are Duplin, Greene, Johnston, Lenoir, Pitt and Wilson.
"We're taking this storm extremely seriously," McCrory said. "Our goal is to be overprepared and, hopefully, underwhelmed. I'm hoping that this is a false alarm, but we won't gamble."