Hurricane Irma: How North Carolina Can Prepare

CHARLOTTE, NC — As Hurricane Irma began making landfall in U.S. Caribbean territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands Wednesday morning, North Carolina emergency officials said it wasn’t too early for residents to start developing family emergency plans.

"You can never be too prepared for an emergency," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement. "We know from Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Harvey that storm tracks can shift quickly and that's why North Carolina isn't waiting to get ready. These tropical systems can pack a powerful punch and those who are prepared ahead of time will fare better."

While the storm's exact path is impossible to predict, the latest National Hurricane Center projections show that tropical storm-force winds could make their way into North Carolina as early as 8 a.m. Sunday. Residents in all of Florida's 67 counties had been urged to prepare to evacuate, and multiple forecast models show the storm working its way into Georgia and the Carolinas after striking Florida.

Watch: Hurricane Irma Pummels The Caribbean; Florida Could Be Next

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Wednesday morning, Irma was packing maximum sustained winds of 185 mph, making it a Category 5 storm and placing it among the most dangerous ever experienced in the Atlantic.

As of 8 a.m. Wednesday, Hurricane Irma was located 15 miles west of St. Martin and was moving west-northwest at 16 mph. Hurricane warnings have gone up for Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Kitts, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and other nearby islands.

Hurricane-force winds were extending out 50 miles from the hurricane's center. Tropical storm-force winds were extending outward by 175 miles.

According to North Carolina Emergency Management, state residents should do the following to get ready before a hurricane:

• Build an emergency kit.
• Make a family communications plan.
• Know you’re the routes you need to leave your home (evacuation routes). Locate your local emergency shelters.
• Closely watch/listen to the weather reports. Listening every hour as the storm nears.
• Put fuel in all vehicles and withdraw some cash from the bank. Gas stations and ATMs may be closed after a hurricane.
• If authorities ask you to leave, do so quickly.
• If you leave (evacuate), be alert to flooded or washed-out roads. Just a few inches of water can float a car.
• Keep a photo I.D. that shows your home address. You will need it when asking police if it is okay for you to re-enter your area or home.
• Secure your property.
• Bring inside all outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans and anything else that is not tied down.
• Cover windows with permanent storm shutters or board up windows with 5/8-inch plywood, cut and ready to install. Tape does not stop windows from breaking.
• Put in straps or extra clips to securely fasten your roof to the frame structure. This will lower roof damage.
• Trim trees and shrubs around your home, so they are more wind resistant.
• Clear clogged rain gutters and downspouts.
• Reinforce garage doors. If wind enters a garage it can cause dangerous and expensive structural damage.

Emergency kits should include the following, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety:

• Bottled water and non-perishable food to sustain each family member for three to seven days
• a weather radio
• flashlight
• extra batteries
• Toiletries
• change of clothes
• blankets or sleeping bag
• rain gear
• appropriate footwear
• copies of important documents, such as birth certificates and insurance policies

Patch Editor Doug Gross contributed to this article.

Photos courtesy of the National Weather Service

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