1996-09-04 Emergency Meeting
NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
EMERGENCY SESSION, SEPTEMBER 4, 1996
BOOK 25
PAGE 580
ASSEMBLY
The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners met in an
Emergency Session on Wednesday, September 4, 1996, at 2:00 P.M. in
Room 501 of the New Hanover County Administration Building, 320
Chestnut Street, Wilmington, North Carolina.
Members present were: Commissioners Sandra Barone, Wi11iamA.
Caster; William E. Sisson, Jr.; vice-Chairman E. L. Mathews, Jr.;
Chairman Robert G. Greer; County Manager, Allen 0' Neal; County
Attorney, Wanda M. Copley; and Clerk to the Board, Lucie F.
Harrell.
Chairman Greer called the Emergency Session to order and
announced the purpose of the meeting was to receive an update on
Hurricane Fran. He requested the Director of Emergency Management,
Dan Summers, to present the report.
Director Summers reported that strike probabilities since 1:00
P.M. had changed with the weather models indicating that Hurricane
Fran will shift more to the north placing Charleston, Myrtle Beach,
and Wilmington in higher strike areas. A Hurricane Watch was
issued at 11:00 A.M. for New Hanover County, and it is felt that a
Hurricane Warning will be issued later this afternoon.
Hurricane Fran remains a Category 3 storm with forecasters
indicating the storm could become a Category 4 storm once it enters
the Gulf Stream. With the eye of the storm being 35 miles across,
hurricane force winds extending eighty-five miles, and tropical
force winds extending 200 miles, the County will receive winds as
high or higher than sustained during Hurricane Bertha. Heavy rains
are expected for an extended period of time due to the size of the
storm, and damage will be experienced with a great deal of debris
and flooding.
The following recommendations were requested.
(1) The Board of County Commissioners should declare a State of
Emergency with no prohibitions. Funds should be transferred
into the emergency measures account and all county employees
should be designated as emergency or essential employees.
(2) The beach communities have been requested to declare a
precautionary voluntary evacuation at 6:00 P.M. This
evacuation is being proposed, and the beach communities will
make the final decision on when to evacuate.
(3) Schools will be closed on Thursday and Friday ln order to open
the shelters.
(4) The EOC will initially be staffed at 5:00 A.M Thursday morning
and become fully operational by 7:00 A.M.
(5) The Media Center will be activated between 7:00 A.M. and 8:00
A.M. Thursday morning.
(6) The mandatory evacuation statement should become effective at
7:00 A.M. Thursday morning.
(7) Shelters should be opened by 12:00 noon on Thursday.
Motion: Vice-Chairman Mathews MOVED, SECONDED by Commissioner
Sisson to adopt a proclamation declaring a State of Emergency in
New Hanover County. Upon vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
A copy of the proclamation is hereby incorporated as a part of
the minutes and is contained in Exhibit Book XXIII, Page 25.
NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
EMERGENCY SESSION, SEPTEMBER 4, 1996
BOOK 25
PAGE 581
Motion: Commissioner Caster MOVED, SECONDED by Commissioner Sisson
to transfer funding in the amount of $10,000 to the emergency
measures account. Upon vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
Director Summers announced that a News Conference would be
held at 6:00 P.M. in the Media Center.
Commissioner Sisson requested Director Summers to contact the
Southeastern Mental Health Center so staff could be prepared to
assist with the shelters.
Director Summers advised that the Southeastern Mental Health
Center had been contacted and reported the Detox Center would
remain open during the storm.
Director of Environmental Management, Ray Church, requested
the media to emphasize the importance of the public being patient
with debris removal. He advised that contracts were already in
place and reported that clean-up activities would be implemented as
quickly as possible after the storm.
ADJOURNMENT
Chairman Greer adjourned the Emergency Session at 2:30 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Lucie F. Harrell
Clerk to the Board