SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA (WECT) – NEW HANOVER COUNTY Five shelters are accepting residents in New Hanover County as of Thursday morning, according to county officials: Trask Middle School (pet friendly) Eaton Elementary School Codington Elementary Johnson Pre-K Center (full)  Noble Middle School County officials also announced that Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem is open as a shelter. According to officials, Garner High School, Southeast Raleigh High School, and Knightdale High School shelters in Wake…

RALEIGH, NC (WNCN) – Gov. Roy Cooper has asked the president for a disaster declaration ahead of Hurricane Florence’s landfall.  The now-Category 4 hurricane is forecast to come ashore along the North or South Carolina coast late Thursday into Friday.  “North Carolina is no stranger to hurricanes. We are a resilient state. Storms and heavy wind and rain can affect the entire state,” Cooper said.  Cooper arrived in Wilmington Monday afternoon and spoke with officials at…

SOUTHEASTERN, NC (WECT) – NEW HANOVER COUNTY New Hanover County recommends a voluntary evacuation for the whole county while Kure Beach, Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach have mandatory evacuations. Residents and visitors should be in a safe location before 8 p.m. Wednesday. Trask Middle School is open as a shelter. This is a pet co-location shelter and cats and dogs are welcome. No exotic animals. Limited food service will be provided for those seeking shelter. A…

It’s still unclear whether the storm will hit Southeastern North Carolina. SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — It’s looking more likely that Hurricane Florence could impact the East Coast, and state and local officials are urging coastal North Carolinians to get prepared. Florence strengthened to Category 1 hurricane Sunday morning, according to an 11 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center. The storm, about 750 miles southeast of Bermuda, is projected to make landfall early Friday morning somewhere…

HURRICANE Q&A Q: What’s the difference between a hurricane warning and a hurricane watch? A: A warning is more serious than a watch. A hurricane watch means a hurricane may threaten the area within 48 hours. A hurricane warning means sustained winds of 74 mph or stronger will likely strike a specific coastal area within 36 hours. Q: Does a higher category number mean a worse storm? A: Yes. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale rates storms…

The tropical storm is expected to strengthen into a hurricane late Saturday or early Sunday. WILMINGTON — At 11 a.m. Saturday, Southeastern North Carolina officially entered the cone of uncertainty for Tropical Storm Florence, which is on a track headed for the East Coast. By 5 p.m., the track for the tropical storm, which is expected to strengthen into a hurricane Saturday night or Sunday, had shifted slightly north, bringing its potential trajectory closer to the region. With the…