GREENVILLE, N.C. - As the forecast for Hurricane Matthew continues to fluctuate, the City of Greenville is asking all residents to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
City officials are monitoring updates on the status of the hurricane that is currently projected to skirt the North Carolina coast on Saturday, but City officials have already started preparing as if the storm will have a direct impact on the Greenville area. City officials are asking that residents do the same and offering the following tips for hurricane preparedness.
- Prepare a Hurricane Survival Kit and ensure you have enough food, water, and other supplies to last each member (including pets) for at least 72 hours.
- Ensure you have sufficient medications in case you are confined to your home for several days. Post-storm, there may not be any electricity and pharmacies will probably be closed, even with a minor storm.
- Plan for those with disabilities or special needs. This includes ensuring that support items such as wheelchairs and walkers are in a designated place so they can be easily located and making the proper arrangements for those who may require electricity for specific medical needs such as oxygen. This might require going to a local shelter.
- If you have a generator, ensure you have enough gas on hand to sustain usage for several days.
- Plan as though you are evacuating and have enough cash on hand to sustain the purchasing of gas, food, and other supplies in the days following a storm.
- Prepare your home for the storm by turning your refrigerator to the coldest setting and keeping it closed, turning off propane tanks, unplugging small appliances, covering all windows and other openings with hardened protections, closing all interior doors and bracing outer doors, and selecting an interior room to use as a safe room.
Don't forget about pets!
- If it is not safe for you, then it is not safe for your pet, so take the proper arrangements for pets during a storm. This includes ensuring they have enough food/water, keeping their essential supplies in a sturdy container where it is easily accessible, keeping a sturdy leash, harness, and/or carrier for transporting your pet, and keeping medications and medical records on hand in a waterproof container.
- In addition to the essentials, it is also recommended that you keep a current photo of your pet in case they get lost along with information on feeding schedules, medical conditions, behavior problems, and the name and number of your veterinarian in case you have to foster or board your pets.
- If an evacuation is necessary, it is also important to find appropriate shelter for your pet. Keep in mind that local and state health and safety regulations do not permit the Red Cross to allow pets at disaster shelters. Below is a list of reputable kennels currently accepting pets:
- Animal Care Veterinary Hospital, 502 McMillan Lane, Greenville 252.758.9971
- Animal Hospital of Pitt County, 107 Trade Street, 252.756.0148
- Barking Buddies, 104 Trade Street, 252.439.2275
- Four Paws Inn, 3131 Moseley Drive, 252.329.7297
- Hoffman-Haus Pet Resort, 1031 Laurie Ellis Road, 252.355-4663
- E&B Boarding, 3729 JC Galloway Road, 252.531.7057
- Riverside Pet Resort, 6038 Clarks Neck Road, Washington, 252.975.5800
- In case of emergencies, the City of Greenville's Animal Protective Services will have officers working throughout the weekend. Contact them at 252.329.4387.
As with any tropical system, there is the potential for significant rainfall and flash flooding. Those traveling in the flood-prone areas are advised to stay alert for standing water and the potential that some of these streets could be blocked if flooding occurs. If you encounter flooding, the following safety tips are recommended:
- Remember that flash flooding can occur even if it is not raining in your area because it could be raining harder upstream.
- Never attempt to drive through water covering a roadway or bridge. Keep in mind that it does not take a lot of water to incapacitate a vehicle, and there may not be a road under the water.
- Watch for flooding at bridges and dips in the road.
- Watch for debris (rocks, limbs, etc.) that may be caught in moving water and can be dangerous if you are forced to walk or swim through flood waters.
- Stay on high ground as much as possible.
To report an emergency situation during the storm, call 911. To report any flooding after the storm, call 329.4522.
Flooding is not the only concern associated with heavy rainfall. The ground may also become extremely saturated, loosening the dirt around trees and power lines. High winds that are often associated with a hurricane could cause the trees or power lines to fall. If you encounter a downed power line, do not touch it and call the Greenville Utilities Commission emergency hotline immediately at 1-855-767-2482. Always assume that a power line is live and dangerous.
