State and county emergency management agencies are coordinating with the American Red Cross to open shelters for residents leaving the Outer Banks.
Residents should seek safe shelter away from areas subject to flooding and storm surge. People living along the coast should seek lodging with family and friends and/or go to a public shelter.
Evacuations have been ordered for Hyde County residents and visitors, as well as for visitors in Dare and Currituck counties.
Shelters are now open in Nash and Wilson counties for visitors and residents from Hyde County. Other shelters are on standby in Halifax, Northampton and Onslow counties for other evacuees from the Outer Banks; a list will be publicized as soon as it is available.
• Ocracoke residents and visitors are asked to go to Inglewood Baptist Church, 1350 Winstead Ave. in Rocky Mount.
• Hyde mainland residents are asked to go to Raleigh Road Baptist Church, 4150 Raleigh Road Parkway in Wilson. Pets will not be co-located in either location, but accommodations will be available and information provided upon arrival.
No one should leave home unless they are evacuating the area. Extra vehicles traveling at this time will clog the roads and may cause accidents.
For updates throughout the storm, follow North Carolina Emergency Management on Twitter @NCEmergency. Facebook at www.facebook.com/NCEmergencyManagement and on the Crime Control and Public Safety website at www.nccrimecontrol.org.