UPDATE #2: Information from S. Carolina and Virginia indicate that emergency shelters from Hurricane Florence will in most cases be available to registrants. Sadly, N. Carolina is not so fortunate. Info received from there indicate the situation there is bad in that regard. A registrant in Wake County reports being told he could take shelter in the jail lobby but could not have his elderly mother, for whom he is responsible, with him. NC registrants, PLEASE document everything you are told and what happens to you if you try to seek shelter during this emergency. Keep a written diary and/or record conversations. And do your best to be safe.
UPDATE: There is no actual new information. I have called multiple counties and agencies in both N. and S. Carolina and Virginia. No one has an answer. I have had 1 out of 5 callbacks, and that person was very nice but didn’t know anything. I won’t update again unless I have something of value to report.
We have just received notice from a registrant in Brunswick Co., N.C. that he has been informed by his sheriff’s office that if he seeks shelter, it cannot be a shelter in a private or public school or a church with a school or daycare. We have contacted the sheriff’s dept. there to see if there is a list of places registrants can go. The officer said there were but could give me no names or locations. He referred me to their website, which had no information. I called emergency services and am waiting for a call-back from a supervisor.
Dare Co, N.C. is under evacuation, but according to their website, no shelters are available for anyone at this time. I could not reach anyone to inquire where those on the registry would be allowed to evacuate.
Potentially also in danger are coastal areas of South Carolina and Virginia.
If anyone reading this has any additional information, please respond on the comments.
Sandy, a NARSOL board member, is communications director for NARSOL, editor-in-chief of the Digest, and a writer for the Digest and the NARSOL website. Additionally, she participates in updating and managing the website and assisting with a variety of organizational tasks.