NC Gov. extends state of emergency for wildfires
Stein first declared a state of emergency due to the spread of wildfires in western North Carolina in March. His most recent order extends the declaration another 30 days.
'I appreciate all of the first responders, emergency managers, state forest rangers, and state and local officials working hard to protect North Carolinians from wildfires,' said Stein.'I am extending this State of Emergency to ensure the State Emergency Response Team has every resource available to continue to respond to wildfires to protect people and property.'
Over the last two months officials with the N.C. Forest Service, as as well as first responders and emergency management staff have responded to 2,348 wildfire incidents spanning more than 23,000 acres, according to Steve Troxler, state agriculture commissioner.
'I appreciate the Governor extending the State of Emergency and making resources available, especially with the elevated risk of wildfires in Western NC. I also urge people to use extreme caution when doing any burning,' he said.
As many communities continue to see dry conditions and the recurrence of wildfire activity, the State Emergency Response Team continues to maintain regular communication with the North Carolina Forest Service and with county emergency management offices to ensure first responders, state forest firefighters, and state forest rangers have the tools needed to keep people safe.
The State of Emergency includes the following counties: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey, as well as the tribal lands of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
North Carolina coasts prepare for flooding as Erin churns offshore
Hurricane Erin threatened North Carolina's coast Wednesday with huge waves and flooding, as the strengthening Category 2 storm triggered mandatory evacuation orders despite its offshore path. The US state, still reeling from last year's deadly Hurricane Helene, declared an emergency Tuesday as Erin's worst impacts were predicted to begin from Wednesday evening through Thursday. "Based on the current forecast, we are anticipating coastal flooding from massive waves, tropical storm force winds and tidal and storm surge for much of the state shoreline, especially the Outer Banks, from this evening through Thursday," Governor Josh Stein told reporters. As of Wednesday morning, Erin was churning northward some 350 miles southeast of North Carolina, packing maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 kph), according to an update by the National Hurricane Center -- with additional intensification likely over the next day or so. Its unusually large size means tropical-storm-force winds extend hundreds of miles from its center. Additional states of emergency have been declared in three North Carolina counties, with mandatory evacuation orders for Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands. A tropical storm warning has been issued across parts of North Carolina to Virginia. Stein urged residents to heed local warnings and pack disaster bags with enough food, water and supplies to last up to five days -- and to safeguard important documents like their insurance policies. "We have already pre-positioned three swift water rescue teams and 200 National Guard troops to various locations on the coast, along with boats, high clearance vehicles and aircraft," he added. - 'Massive' waves - Highway 12 -- which runs through the scenic Outer Banks, a string of low-lying islands and spits already under threat from sea-level rise and erosion -- could be left impassable by waves that reach as high as 20 feet. Last year's Hurricane Helene caused approximately $60 billion worth of damage to North Carolina, equivalent to almost two-year's worth of the state's budget, said Stein, who criticized what he called inadequate federal assistance from the administration of President Donald Trump. Trump has mused about dismantling the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has long been a target of conspiracy theories from the political right. "This one appears to be localizing on North Carolina, but many of the storms hit an entire region. The scale of these storms are massive," Stein said, adding it was essential "that we keep and improve FEMA." Beyond the flooding risks focused on North Carolina, nearly the whole of the US East Coast meanwhile is threatened by rip currents, powerful surges that run against the tide. - Insurance risks - The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, has entered its historical peak. Despite a relatively quiet start with just four named storms so far, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration continues to forecast an above-normal season. Scientists say that climate change is supercharging tropical cyclones: warmer oceans fuel stronger winds, a warmer atmosphere intensifies rainfall, and higher sea levels magnify storm surge. There is also some evidence, though less certainty, that climate change is making hurricanes more frequent. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell recently warned that climate change will shrink mortgage availability across swaths of the United States in the coming years as banks and insurers retreat from fire- and flood-prone regions. ia/dw
New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
Hurricane Erin unleashes monster waves, shutting down beaches from Florida to New York
Hurricane Erin continues to churn in the Atlantic waters hundreds of miles off the U.S., prompting officials to close beaches along the East Coast from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast due to massive waves and potentially deadly rip currents just as families take their final vacations of the summer. Hurricane Erin isn't forecast to make landfall along the U.S. East Coast. Advertisement However, dangerous impacts are expected nonetheless due to outer rain bands possibly lashing North Carolina's Outer Banks, where Tropical Storm Warnings and Storm Surge Warnings remain in effect. The Tropical Storm Warning is now in effect from Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina, to the North Carolina-Virginia border. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect north of the North Carolina-Virginia border to Chincoteague, Virginia. Officials in Dare and Hyde counties declared local states of emergency and issued mandatory evacuation orders for tourists and residents in popular areas like Ocracoke Island and Hatteras Island. On Tuesday afternoon, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency to assist with the response to Hurricane Erin and to mobilize resources. Advertisement 4 Hurricane Erin continues to churn in the Atlantic waters hundreds of miles off the U.S., prompting officials to close beaches along the East Coast from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast. Gregory P. Mango 'To folks on the coast, now is the time to prepare,' he said in a post on X. 'Check your emergency kits, make sure you have emergency alerts turned on, and listen to emergency guidance in case you need to evacuate.' North Carolina Emergency Management officials opened a State Operated Shelter (SOS) in conjunction with Warren County Emergency Management for those who needed to evacuate due to Hurricane Erin. Due to the threats of a storm surge and large waves of up to 12 feet in some spots, local officials and forecasters have been warning people to stay out of the water for safety. Advertisement 4 Hurricane Erin (seen above) isn't forecast to make landfall along the U.S. East Coast, according to reports. AP A spokesperson for Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, told FOX Weather their rescue crews conducted nearly 60 water rescues on Monday and another 20 on Tuesday due to strong rip currents. The town has now told all beachgoers to stay out of the water through Friday as Erin gets even closer. 'These swells are producing powerful rip currents that can create extremely hazardous swimming conditions,' said Sam Proffitt, director of Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue. 'The safety of our beachgoers is always our top priority, and we urge everyone to follow this advisory.' Where is Hurricane Erin? Advertisement As of the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Hurricane Erin has maximum sustained winds of 100 mph with some higher gusts, and some slow strengthening is expected through Thursday night. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles from Erin's center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 265 miles. 4 Hurricane Erin has maximum sustained winds of 100 mph with some higher gusts, and some slow strengthening is expected through Thursday night, according to reports. FOX Weather 4 A sign warning against beach access is posted in Dare County, N.C., on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, ahead of expected impacts from Hurricane Erin. AP Hurricane Erin is currently located about 400 miles to the south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and is moving off to the north-northwest at 13 mph. The NHC said Erin is expected to begin a turn to the north on Wednesday, followed by a northeastward motion on Thursday. On that forecast track, the center of Hurricane Erin will move over the western Atlantic between the East Coast and Bermuda through early Friday, and then pass south of Atlantic Canada on Friday and Saturday.
Los Angeles Times
7 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Summer celebrations meet closed beaches and warnings on U.S. East Coast due to Hurricane Erin
RODANTHE, N.C. — From Florida to New England, people trying to enjoy the last hurrahs of summer along the coast were met with rip current warnings, closed beaches and in some cases already treacherous waves as Hurricane Erin inched closer Wednesday. While forecasters remain confident that the center of the monster storm will stay far offshore, the outer edges are expected to bring high winds, large swells and life-threatening rip currents into Friday. Life-threatening surf and 100 mph winds will lash the East Coast, National Weather Service forecasters warned Wednesday. New York City closed its beaches to swimming on Wednesday and Thursday, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered three state beaches on Long Island to prohibit swimming through Thursday. Several New Jersey beaches also will be temporarily off-limits, while some towns in Delaware have cut off ocean access. Off Massachusetts, Nantucket Island could see waves of more than 10 feet later this week. But the biggest threat is along the barrier islands of North Carolina's Outer Banks, where evacuations have been ordered. Erin has become an unusually large and deceptively worrisome storm, with its tropical storm winds stretching 265 miles from its core. Forecasters expect it will grow larger in size as it moves through the Atlantic and curls north. On Tuesday it lashed the Turks and Caicos Islands, where government services were suspended and residents were ordered to stay home, along with parts of the Bahamas before its expected turn toward Bermuda. Tropical storm watches were issued for Virginia and North Carolina as well as Bermuda. Erin lost some strength from previous days and was a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds around 100 mph, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. It was about 400 miles south-southeast of North Carolina's Cape Hatteras. On the Outer Banks, Erin's storm surge could swamp roads with waves of 15 feet. Mandatory evacuations were ordered on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. More than 1,800 people had left Ocracoke by ferry since Monday. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein warned coastal residents to be prepared to evacuate and declared a state of emergency Tuesday. Bulldozers shored up the dunes, and trucks from the local power company on Ocracoke were on hand to respond to downed wires. Some side roads already saw some flooding on Hatteras, and the owners of a pier removed a few planks, hoping the storm surge would pass through without tearing it up. Most residents decided to stay even though memories are still fresh of Hurricane Dorian in 2019, when 7 feet of water swamped Ocracoke, county commissioner Randal Mathews said. Tom Newsom, who runs fishing charters on Hatteras, said has lived there almost 40 years and never evacuated. He was not going to this time either. Comparing this hurricane to others he has seen, he called this one a 'nor'easter on steroids.' The Outer Banks' thin stretch of low-lying barrier islands jutting into the Atlantic are increasingly vulnerable to storm surges. There are concerns that parts of the main highway could be washed out, leaving some routes impassible for days. And dozens of beach homes already worn down from chronic beach erosion and the loss of protective dunes could be at risk, said David Hallac, superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Farther south, no evacuations were ordered but some beach access points were closed with water levels up to 3 feet over normal high tides expected for several days. Climate scientists say Atlantic hurricanes are now much more likely to rapidly intensify into powerful and catastrophic storms fueled by warmer oceans. Two years ago Hurricane Lee grew with surprising speed while barreling offshore through the Atlantic, unleashing violent storms and rip currents. Breed and Seewer write for the Associated Press. Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. AP journalists Dave Collins in Hartford, Conn.; Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, S.C.; Gary Robertson in Raleigh, N.C.; Ben Finley in Norfolk, Va.; Hallie Golden in Seattle; Leah Willingham in Boston; Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Ala.; and Julie Walker in New York contributed to this report.
