NEW HANOVER COUNTY: Flooding closing roads in northern part of the county

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Extends from Carolina Beach to Kure Beach and Fort Fisher

7 p.m. update: Some on Pleasure Island without power

According to Duke Energy, just more than 1,800 customers are without power on Pleasure Island, stretching from Carolina Beach to Kure Beach and Fort Fisher.

About 80 more are also without power throughout the county.

6:15 p.m. update: Snow’s Cut Bridge to close

With sustained winds from Hurricane Dorian reaching 45 miles per hour, Carolina Beach officials announced the Snow’s Cut Bridge will close at 7 p.m.

Carolina Beach Mayor Joe Benson said early Thursday afternoon of the likelihood of the bridge’s closing.

Once the storm passes, emergency responders will assess streets and infrastructure and will reopen the bridge once safety concerns have been addressed. Pending level of damage, bridge opening may be staggered to only allow residents and business owners.

At the New Hanover County Emergency Operations Center’s 5:15 p.m. weather briefing, county staff said they expected to see hurricane-force winds in the area from 8 p.m. Thursday to 4 a.m. Friday as Hurricane Dorian sweeps along the N.C. coast.

4:30 p.m. update: Delta hopes to restart ILM flights Friday, United and American Saturday

WILMINGTON — Delta Airlines is still hoping to restart service from Wilmington International Airport Friday morning, but American and United won’t resume flights until Saturday.

Airport Director Julie Wilsey Thursday afternoon said Delta was still hoping to resume flying at 11:30 a.m. Friday.

But that is all dependent on Hurricane Dorian, which was forecast to move through the region just offshore late Thursday night or early Friday morning.

Dorian prompted the airlines to freeze flights at ILM late Wednesday night.

For more information about the resumption of Wilmington’s flights, go to www.flyilm.com or visit the airport’s Facebook page.

Passengers may also check with the airlines at:

American Airlines: www.aa.com 1-800-433-7300
Delta Air Lines: www.delta.com 1-800-221-1212
United: www.united.com 1-800-864-8331

For Wednesday’s news from New Hanover County, click here.

3:30 p.m. update: One eastbound lane of I-40 closed

One lane of Interstate 40 headed toward Wilmington is closed, due to water damaging the asphalt.

The closure affects the right-most eastbound lane of I-40 near mile marker 40, in the area of Holly Shelter Road, accoridng to the N.C. Department of Transportation (DOT). The DOT shared an image of the damaged road on social media, showing a sinkhole along the shoulder of the road.

According to the DOT, nearby Castle Hayne Road at Holly Shelter Road is impassable due to flooding and a traffic accident.

— Cammie Bellamy

2 p.m. update: 1,500 without power in Ogden, roads closed

More than 1,500 people are without power in Ogden, an area that’s also experiencing several road closures from flooding.

Duke Energy reported that as of 1:45 p.m., 1,557 customers were without power in the areas north and northwest of Ogden Park. According to a company outage map, a crew has been assigned to the restoration, but it was not immediately known when power would return to the area.

The N.C. Department of Transportation (DOT) is also reporting numerous road closures in the Ogden area as of Thursday afternoon.

Torchwood Boulevard at Market Street is closed in both directions due to flooding, as are Amsterdam Way and Farrington Farms Drive. Near the Eagle Point Golf Club in Porters Neck, Bald Head Eagle Lane is closed in both directions due to multiple trees down, according to the DOT.

In other parts of the city, the DOT is reporting flooding blocking South College Road at Wrightsville Avenue, a closure on Wrightsville Avenue at Bryan Avenue due to a fallen tree, and lane reductions on South 16th Street near Ann Street due to a fallen tree.

— Cammie Bellamy

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2 p.m. update: Wrightsville Beach P.D. citing those “wandering outside”

The Wrightsville Beach Police Department is charging individuals for violating the mandatory evacuation order. Because the town has declared a state of emergency, there is an ordinance that those in violation are guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor, said Diane Zeunen, a spokesperson for the town.

“Overnight we had some individuals who failed to heed the evacuation order and were wandering outside,” said police chief Dan House said in a news conference Thursday morning. “Our department will be enforcing evacuation orders and criminally charging folks,” he said, especially if they are impeding first responders.

The mandatory evacuation began for the beach community on Wednesday. District Attorney Ben David has agreed to prosecute these cases, House said.

— Allison Ballard

1 p.m. update: Snow’s Cut Bridge could close this afternoon

PLEASURE ISLAND — Carolina Beach and Kure Beach officials are monitoring Hurricane Dorian’s wind speeds and, in conjunction with the N.C. Department of Transportation (DOT), plan to close Snow’s Cut Bridge when sustained winds are at or above 45 mph.

That could happen as early as this afternoon, according to a press release.

“When will it happen? Based on the forecasts, it could be in two hours. Or it could be a few,” Carolina Beach Mayor Joe Benson said.

Once the storm passes, emergency responders will assess streets and infrastructure and will reopen the bridge once safety concerns have been addressed.

“We don’t anticipate that happening until the storm passes,” Benson said.

Pending level of damage, bridge opening may be staggered to only allow residents and business owners.

— Allison Ballard

Join Our Facebook Group: Join other readers in helping the community know about supplies, closures, damage as Hurricane Dorian approaches

CAROLINA BEACH — As the leading bands of Hurricane Dorian reached Southeastern North Carolina Thursday morning, the first major power outage struck New Hanover County.

According to the Duke Energy outage website, more than 2,900 customers in Carolina Beach from roughly Hamlet Avenue through Wilmington Beach were shown to be without power.

According to the website, the outage started just after 10 a.m. and there was no estimate as to when power would be restored — likely due to the impending arrival of Dorian in force later Thursday.

Officials have said they expect wind speeds and rainfall amounts to keep increasing as the hurricane moves up the East Coast toward the Cape Fear region, with the eye of the storm expected to pass about 20 miles off Wrightsville Beach late Thursday night.

— Gareth McGrath

Got A Dorian Question? Ask the StarNews staff about the hurricane, prep and arrival, and we’ll find the best answer we can.

9 a.m. update: New Hanover opens 3rd shelter as others fill up

WILMINGTON — With one shelter filled to capacity, New Hanover County officials opened Eaton Elementary School, located at 6701 Gordon Rd. in Wilmington, as a shelter Wednesday evening.

It is not a pet-friendly shelter.

Of the two shelters that opened on Wednesday, Codington Elementary on Carolina Beach Road is now full. As of 8 a.m., the pet-friendly shelter at Blair Elementary is housing 87 people looking for respite from Hurricane Dorian. Officials said another possible shelter is on standby.”Those seeking emergency shelter should bring their own blankets/pillows, prescription medications and other necessary items. No alcohol, illegal drugs, or weapons are permitted,” stated a release from the county.

— Allison Ballard