North Carolina Emergency Management preparing for Tropical Storm Isaias' impact

STORMS, COMING UP AND JUST A LITTLE BIT.>> WE CAN HOPE THIS PUSHES FAR OUT TO SEA.>>> STATE OFFICIALS ARE DISCUSSING THE PLAN OF ACTION SHOULD THE STORM IMPACT NORTH CAROLINA COAST. JOINING US LIVE TO TALK ABOUT THE PREPARATION IS STATE DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. IT IS MIKE SPRAY VERY, ARE WE IN ANY PARTICULAR PHASE JUST YET, WHAT IS THE STATE DOING RIGHT NOW? >> RIGHT NOW WE ARE WORKING WITH INTERNALLY HERE WITH THE TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TAKING ALL THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS AND PREPARATIONS. WE ARE IN CONTACT WITH THE LOCAL PARTNERS IN OUR COASTAL COUNTIES AND WE ARE ALSO IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE FEMA PARTNERS AS WELL AS PARTNERS AT THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER. AS METEOROLOGIST AIMEE WILMOTH SAID, THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY ON THE TRACK BUT ON THE FORECAST, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE READY IN CASE IT MAKES LANDFALL IN NORTH CAROLINA OR EVEN BRUSHES BY THE COAST. SO WE ARE WATCHING WITH EVERY FORECAST TRACK THAT COMES UP FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER, AND WE ARE MAKING THE PREPARATIONS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE READY. >> AS IT PERTAINS TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, AND BATTLING WHAT COULD POSSIBLY ANOTHER NATURAL DISASTER HERE, WHAT ARE THE CONVERSATIONS LIKE NOW BECAUSE YOU’VE PROBABLY NEVER COME ACROSS ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE?>> THAT’S RIGHT. AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR SOME MONTHS TO PLAN ON HOW WE WOULD RESPOND TO A HURRICANE, IN THE COVID-19 ENVIRONMENT. SO IT IS REALLY GOING TO CHANGE THE EVACUATION PLANS FOR FOLKS, IF THEY HAVE TO EVACUATE A THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE BEST PLACE FOR THEM TO EVACUATE TO, OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND IF THEY DON’T HAVE ANYBODY THEY CAN STAY WITH, LIKE FRIENDS AND FAMILY, THEN THEY NEED TO GO TO A HOTEL. THE LAST RESORT SHOULD BE GOING TO A PUBLIC SHELTER. NOW, WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING HAVE NON-CONGREGATE SHELTERING IN HOTELS AND MAYBE SOME DORMITORIES. BUT STILL, THE BEST BET WOULD BE TO STAY WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY OR GO TO A HOTEL BECAUSE YOU DON’T WANT TO BE IN A PLACE WHERE YOU ARE WITH A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE. AND THAT COULD AFFECT YOU AS POSSIBLY CONTACTING THE VIRUS.>> SIMPLY PUT, THE SOCIAL DISTANCING MAKES IT SO VERY DIFFICULT IN THOSE TIGHT ENVIRONMENTS RIGHT THERE. IT WOULD BE THE MAIN CONCERN, I IMAGINE. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE CORONAVIRUS RELATED THAT HAS COME UP IN YOUR MEETINGS AND CONVERSATIONS?>> WE ARE WORKING WITH RESPONDER TEAMS, THE URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE TASK FORCES WITH WATER TEAMS, HELICOPTER RESCUES AND ACTUALLY WE HAVE PPE AS WELL AS THEY EXECUTE THEIR MISSIONS. SO THAT IS ALL PART OF THE PLANNING WE ARE DOING THAT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS THEY GO OUT ONTO THE FIELD AND EXECUTE THEIR MISSIONS, THAT THEY ARE APPROPRIATELY PREPARED. AND SO, WE ARE WORKING ON THAT FOR A WHILE. >> DIRECTOR, MIKE SPRAYBERRY, THANK YOU FOR THIS. I KNOW THE WHEELS ARE IN MOTION AND YOU GUYS HAVE YOUR TEAM TOGETHER AND ALREADY IN ACTION HERE. HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE NICE DRILL AND A NICE RUN THROUGH WE WON’T