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Wake opens shelter for people, pets ahead of Tropical Storm Michael
Raleigh, N.C. — Governor Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency on Wednesday ahead of Tropical Storm Michael, and, as rain built into the state from the southwest, Wake County announced plans to open a shelter at Southeast Raleigh High School to accommodate people and pets.
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Nearly 70 counties are under the state of emergency, and officials said that could expand. The declaration allows the use of state resources to help local governments respond to the storm, and it is the first step in requesting federal or state assistance to those who need it.
More than 16,600 customers were without power by 10 a.m., most of them in Haywood County, and there were reports of downed trees in western part of state
Cooper activated 150 National Guard troops who’ve already reported for duty. He also urged families to prepare.
Keith Acree with North Carolina Emergency Management said representatives with multiple agencies will gather at the Emergency Ops Center in Raleigh in an effort to support the county governments.
“…to make sure the counties have the resources they need, should their needs exceed what they have locally, we can supply them with additional personnel,” he said.
Acree also warned residents of the possibility for additional power outages due to heavy winds and rain. He also urged people to stay off the roads.
Cooper will have another news briefing at the Emergency Ops Center in Raleigh to provide an update at 10:30 a.m.
Wake County Emergency Management reminds people to:
- Monitor news reports and weather forecasts.
- Be ready to leave home, if necessary.
- Take your home emergency kit with you if you evacuate, including any prescription medications you may need. If you don’t have an emergency kit or communication plan, it’s not too late to create them.
- Stay away from floodwaters.
- Do not walk or drive through flooded areas. You or your car could be swept away.