North Carolina leaders urge preparedness for hurricane season
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — North Carolina Leaders say now is the time to prepare for hurricane season. Emergency management officials say more than a dozen named storms will hit the US this season. Several are expected to become powerful, dangerous hurricanes.
During a press conference on Thursday, Governor Josh Stein said North Carolinians should have an emergency kit ready, including important documents and three to five days' worth of food and water.
State Emergency Manager Director William Ray said forecasters expect at least a dozen powerful storms to make landfall the next few months, six to ten of those storms could become hurricanes.
'The state emergency response team is hosting workshops, planning sessions, conducting plan reviews, conducting operation and logistics and readiness checks,' Ray added.
Over at Duke Energy, Hurricane Helene is still fresh on the mind of staff at their power distribution control center in Charlotte.
'We've never experienced something like that,' said operator Laura Weigel.
Company executives told Queen City News they took what they saw during Helene and applied it to trainings they run every year.
'We also practice ahead of storm season, doing storm drills, preparing operators for a variety of scenarios they might encounter. You know, every kind of scenario, including even a facility not working,' said Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks.
Brooks echoed Stein's message, saying everyone should have a plan in place.
'Where would you go if you had an extended power outage? Do you have a generator in your home and do you know how to use it safely, always use those outside.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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