Hurricane Preparedness Forum
Wednesday June 11, 2025
10:00 AM
Dept of Public Safety
Multi-Purpose
Room
Personal Preparation
BEFORE A HURRICANE - DO NOW
• Sign up for Code Red.
• Create a communication plan.
• Create a plan for your property.
• Build an emergency kit.
• Check your insurance coverage.
• Have an evacuation plan - plan where you will stay.
• Download an emergency weather app.
• Keep all important documents in a waterproof container.
• Identify the safest place in your home.
Personal Preparation
BEFORE A HURRICANE - IF IMMINENT
• Stay informed.
• Secure your home.
• Turn off propane tanks.
• Turn of utilities if instructed to do so.
Evacuate if asked to do so.
If there is a mandatory evacuation & you do not leave, please let us know.
Village Preparations
Emergency Management Plan
• Internal document providing instructions for Village officials for each phase of an event.
• Includes making sure equipment, fuel, communications, etc. are in place for response.
• As storm approaches, Village meets with County EM via conference call. Calls are repeated as necessary.
• Emergency Operations Center (EOC) may be activated.
Village Communications
Village Communications
• Village will utilize CodeRED when property owners need to do something - usually starts with a notification of severe weather & instructions to secure property.
• Village Announcements are typically sent more regularly during an event & may coincide with NWS briefing releases.
• Severe Weather webpage will be updated more frequently.
• Photos/video will be posted on social media when it is safe to do so.
We know how important it is for your peace of mind.
Pre-Storm Decision Making
EVACUATION? VOLUNTARY or MANDATORY
Voluntary - All residents, property owners, and visitors will be requested to leave the island as soon as possible. All non-residents are required to evacuate.
Mandatory - No one should remain on the island. No Village staff will remain on the island - no services. Anyone who stays must stay on their private property until the State of Emergency is lifted.
During the Storm
If you choose to stay.
• Listen for current info & instructions - obey curfews.
• You should have water on hand (in your kit), fill up bathtub(s) for sanitation.
• Do not swim, walk, or drive through floodwaters.
• Generators are for outdoors ONLY.
• Avoid using phone, implement your communication plan. Text is more reliable than calls.
During the Storm
If you choose to stay & strong winds have arrived. Go to the safest place in your home. Ideally a small interior room, closet or hallway on the lowest level. If you do not have one:
• Close all interior doors-secure & brace exterior doors.
• Keep curtains & blinds closed.
• Do not be fooled by a lull, this could be the eye of the storm.
• Lie on the floor under a table or another sturdy object.
• Stay indoors and away from windows and glass doors.
After the Storm
Recovery is a gradual process. Safety is the top priority.
• Listen to current info & instructions.
• Obey curfews & stay off the roads. The Village will be surveying conditions to make sure the island is safe. Do not impede that process.
• Do not walk, swim, or drive through floodwaters.
Damage Assessment
• Village staff and the Volunteer Damage Assessment Team will perform a preliminary damage assessment (windshield survey/quick survey of exterior).
• This data is reported to Brunswick County and that info is used to determine the impact & magnitude of the disaster & starts the eligibility determination for disaster recovery programs.
• The Village does not perform damage assessments for individual property owners.
Storm Impacts Flooding
• Low lying areas generally experience flooding due to the elevated level of ground water table (BHI Hydrologic Cycle presentation-23:30).
• Items in storage & parking areas that can get damaged by flood water should be moved to higher elevations when possible.
• Ponding will remain until the water table is lowered.
• The Village has a coordinated system to lower the water table as quickly & efficiently as possible while adhering to CAMA & FEMA rules for stormwater discharge.
• NO pre-pumping by Village or pumping of private property is permitted.
Storm Impacts Debris
• The Village will communicate debris removal plans as soon after the storm as possible.
• Separate storm debris by type for example building materials in one pile, appliances in another pile, and vegetation in yet another pile.
• The piles should be placed in the right of way (side of the road). Wait for further instructions from the Village.
Storm Impacts Utilities (Water & Sewer)
• Water & sewer service WILL BE SHUT OFF in the event of a MANDATORY EVACUATION.
• Water disruption caused by storm impacts is rare, it is more likely that sewer service will be impacted - loss of electricity & island population will cause issues - flooding will cause issues.
• Homes shall not be occupied if sewer service is not operational.
Post-Storm Decision Making
RE-ENTRY SYSTEM
1. Re-entry will prioritize, to the maximum extent practical and safe, businesses that have coordinated with the Village to provide initial first responders with specific services & products as part of the EOC’s post-storm response and/or recovery efforts.
Post-Storm Decision Making
RE-ENTRY SYSTEM
2. Re-entry will prioritize, to the maximum extent practical and safe, on-island food establishment operators who will have to pass the Brunswick County Health Department inspection before reopening to the general public once they return.
Post-Storm Decision Making
RE-ENTRY SYSTEM
3. Re-entry will prioritize, to the maximum extent practical and safe, individuals with primary residences on the island.
Post-Storm Decision Making
RE-ENTRY SYSTEM
4. Re-entry will prioritize after a prolonged emergency with a mandatory evacuation, to the maximum extent practical and safe, consideration by the EOC for island re-entry by geographical areas based on their availability of power, water, and sewer.
Insurance
Dealing with insurance after an event can be very overwhelming especially if the event caused widespread damage requiring numerous claims. The NC Department of Insurance offers this publication, A Consumer’s Guide to Disaster Preparedness (link is on the Village website). This publication covers just about everything you need to know before and after the storm and includes contact information if you have further questions.
Contractors
Dealing with contractors after an event can be very overwhelming especially if the event caused widespread damage requiring numerous repairs. The NC Department of Insurance offers some tips for Protecting Yourself from Scams (link is on the Village website).
If you are hiring someone who does not regularly work on the island, please direct them to our Contractor Services web page for information about working on the island.
FEMA Public Assistance
FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides essential support to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as certain nonprofits, to help them recover from major disasters and emergencies. Past reimbursements from FEMA PA include:
• Category A - Debris Removal
• Category B - Emergency Protective Measures
• Category E - Public Buildings & Equipment
• Category G - Parks, Recreational & Other (THIS INCLUDES BEACHES)
FEMA Individual Assistance
FEMA’s Individual Assistance program is designed to help disaster survivors with basic, critical needs such as a safe, sanitary, and functional place to live while survivors look for a long-term or permanent housing solution. It is not designed to make survivors whole and is not a substitute for insurance coverage. Individual Assistance cannot duplicate other sources of assistance.
Assistance for Property Owners
NC Emergency Management has a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program that will assist property owners with:
• Elevations
• Property Buy-Outs
• Generator & Infrastructure Hardening
Lessons Learned
(HFTF)
• Hurricane Florence Task Force
• Snorkel Extensions (PTC #8)
• Stormwater Grant (LASII)