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Hurricane season has arrived, being prepared is critical

PENDER COUNTY – With the start of hurricane season, Pender County is providing hurricane preparedness information for citizens in our county. Pender County is committed to continuing to promote personal and community preparedness techniques to ensure all citizens understand their flood risk, work to mitigate that risk, and stay informed regarding hurricanes and flood events.

“Over the past few years, we have witnessed the devasting impacts hurricanes cause, especially flooding,” said Daniel Adams, Pender County Floodplain Administrator. “High winds, heavy rainfall, tornadoes and floods can cause loss of life and damage to property. As we saw with the impacts of Hurricane Florence in Pender County, all hurricanes have the potential to cause significant damage, even if they are not considered a Major Hurricane of Category 3 or higher.”

Always keep these important facts in mind while preparing:

Know Your Risk: To search for general information about risks in your area, visit https://gis.pendercountync.gov/maps/ and type in your address. Click on layers and select flood zones to see what flood zone you are in or near.

Flood Alerts: To sign up for flood alerts that are tied to the nearest river gages, go to Pender County’s website and search for the webpage “Being Prepared for a Hurricane”. Instructions to sign up for alerts can be found under the Flood Inundation Mapping and Alert Network (FIMAN) section.

Be Prepared: Act now to be prepared for hurricane season. Make sure you have family evacuation and communication plans, update your emergency supply kit, and evaluate your flood insurance needs.

Survival Kit Supplies: Water, food (non-perishable), flashlight, battery powered or hand-crank radio (can be purchased at the Red Cross store online), extra batteries, deluxe family first aid kit, medications and medical items, multi-purpose tools, sanitation and personal hygiene items, copy of personal documents, cell phone with charger, family and emergency contact information, extra cash, emergency blanket, maps of the area, and if needed: Baby supplies, games and activities for children, pet supplies, and a manual can-opener.

Flood Insurance: Did you know that homeowner’s insurance does not cover damage from flooding? The good news is that Pender County is a member of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Flood insurance is available to homeowners, condo owners, apartment owners, renters and business owners. Typically, there’s a 30-day waiting period from date of purchase before your policy goes into effect. Areas in the floodplain are at a high risk of flooding. In high-risk areas, there is at least a 1 in 4 chance of flooding during a 30-year mortgage.

For more information, visit the Emergency Management website or our Facebook page. If you have not signed up for the CodeRed alert system, register for free at https://pendercountync.gov/em/special-disaster-information/emergency-notification-system/ or call 910-259-1210 for details.

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