UPDATE on Hurricane Florence from Office of Emergency 9-13-18/ Noon:
A conference call was held at 10 a.m. to discuss preparations for Hurricane Florence, which is now classified as a Category 2. At this point, we are expecting landfall near Cape Fear/Wilmington, NC late Thursday night into Friday morning when it likely will travel south along the South Carolina to coast to near Georgetown, across the state to south of Columbia, and then north toward the North Carolina mountains. The coastal areas can expect 15-20 inches of rain.
In York County, we anticipate sustained winds of 15-20 mph with gusts up to 50 mph, and 6-10 inches of rain from Friday to Sunday. Since we are located on the north side of the hurricane, there is potential for tornado threats. In the event of a tornado warning, sirens will be sounded according to regular procedure however the sirens will not be sounded for tropical storm winds.
Chuck Haynes, York County Emergency Management Director, cautions, “We urge citizens not to become complacent since the hurricane dropped from a category 4 to a category 2. Due to the level of rain we expect to receive along with sustained winds, we anticipate downed trees, areas of flooding, and power outages.”
We want to remind citizens of the following:
• York County Emergency Management does not provide sandbags for public use. Residents and businesses can purchase sandbags from local hardware stores.
• There are currently no shelters open in York County.
• Check the York County website at https://www.yorkcountygov.com/ and social media for current information. Also, check local news stations to stay informed.