ROCKINGHAM – As part of the ongoing mission of the Richmond Observer to provide expansive coverage of current events, we offer the following news release from congressional candidate Mark Harris:
Dear friends,
Now is the time for prayer and final preparations in advance of Hurricane Florence making landfall in our region. The storm trackers show Florence coming in anywhere from Wilmington to Myrtle Beach, and it is likely much of our 9th District along with other areas of our state and our neighbors in South Carolina will be hard hit.
Please take a moment now to pause and join me in prayer for everyone in the path of this storm, for all emergency services personnel, doctors and nurses, disaster relief officials, utility workers, charities, and others who are standing by ready to assist victims of the storm, and our elected leaders who will be overseeing the official response to this storm. May God grant them protection, peace, comfort, and wisdom as they face down this ferocious storm.
As we prepare for this storm, my team and I have been in touch with local and state officials across the district like State Rep. Brenden Jones and Lumberton City Councilman Owen Thomas as well as pastors throughout the district to let them know that we are praying for them and that we are here to help. We have also been in touch with both government and nongovernmental disaster relief agencies to let them know that we are ready to assist and ready to leverage our network of supporters around the district, state, and nation to help in both the immediate aftermath of this storm and in the weeks to come.
If you haven’t begun preparing for the hurricane, please do so immediately. For your convenience, I’ve included emergency contacts and resources including shelters at the bottom of this email. If you are in an evacuation zone and haven’t already left please make arrangements to leave! The chances of your being hurt are too great, and many who choose to “tough it out” place a burden on our brave First Responders via their decision to stay put.
The full measure of this storm and its exact path is unknowable, and that means many of our fellow citizens will be struggling – without power, food and water, and many without hope. Please consider a donation to organizations like your local Red Cross, the NC Baptist Men’s Disaster Relief Fund, or other disaster response organizations who will be helping our state and our friends and neighbors in their hours of need.
The following resources are available for statewide updates on the storm and emergency preparedness:
- NC Emergency Management: Follow NC Emergency Management on Twitter (@NCEmergency) for updates and statements from state and local officials. Get more updates by downloading the ReadyNC app, available along with more info on ReadyNC.org.
- FEMA: The Federal Emergency Management Agency is monitoring the situation and providing information resources for residents on Twitter (@FEMARegion4) and on their website, FEMA.gov. They have shared a hurricane preparedness toolkit that you can find here.
- NOAA: The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration is providing regional and county-specific weather updates at Weather.gov. On NOAA’s interactive map, click on your area to find the latest forecasts and advisories. The latest briefing information on the storm can be found here.
- American Red Cross: Find hurricane safety and preparedness tips on RedCross.org or follow the group on Twitter (@RedCross) or Facebook (Red Cross). You can find a list of open emergency evacuation shelters here.
- Duke Energy: Report any power outages by calling 800-228-8485, texting OUT to 57801 or vising duke-energy.com. You can also monitor updates on Twitter (@DukeEnergy) and Facebook (Duke Energy).
- NC Electric Cooperatives: Report a power outage in your county on the cooperatives’ website, NCElectricCooperatives.gov.
Additional important phone numbers to know:
- For updates on Hurricane Florence please check Ready NC’s website at https://readync.org/EN/Index.html.
- Call 211 for shelters, food assistance, and storm recovery info
- Call 911 for life-threatening emergencies
- Call 511 for roadway conditions
- American Red Cross Emergency Line 1-800-768-8048
Shelters Open In or Near the 9thCongressional District:
Bladen County:
- West Bladen High (Medical Needs and pet friendly); 1600 NC 410 Hwy. Bladenboro, NC 28320
- East Bladen High; 5600 NC 87 Hwy. Elizabethtown, NC 28337
- Bladen Lakes School; 554 Johnsontown Road Elizabethtown, NC 28337
- East Arcadia School; 21451 NC Hwy 87 East Riegelwood, NC 2845
Cumberland County:
- Mac Williams Middle School; 4644 Clinton Road Fayetteville, NC 28312
- National Guard Armory; 3555 Owen Dr. Fayetteville, NC 28306
- Pine Forest High School; 525 Andrews Road Fayetteville, NC 28311
- Seventy-First High School; 6764 Raeford Road Fayetteville, NC 28304
- Smith Recreation Center; 1520 Slater Ave. Fayetteville, NC 28301
- South View High School; 4184 Elk Road Hope Mills, NC 28348
- W. T. Brown Elementary School; 2522 Andrews Church Road Spring Lake, NC 28390
Mecklenburg County:
- Ardrey Kell High School (pet-friendly); 10220 Ardrey Kell Charlotte, North Carolina 28277
- East Mecklenburg High School (pet-friendly); 6800 Monroe Road Charlotte, North Carolina, 28212
- North Mecklenburg High School; 11201 Old Statesville Road Huntersville, North Carolina 28078
- Olympic High School; 4301 Sandy Porter Road Charlotte, North Carolina 28273
- South Mecklenburg High School; 8900 Park Road Charlotte, North Carolina 28210
Robeson County:
- Purnell Sweet High School; Opens Thursday at 12 p.m. 11344 Deep Branch Road Pembroke, NC 28372
- Fairmont Middle School; Opens Thursday at 12 p.m. 402 Iona Street Fairmont, NC 28340
- St. Pauls High School; Opens Thursday at 12 p.m. 648 North Old Stage Road St. Pauls, NC 28384
- Lumberton Senior High School; Opens Thursday at 12 p.m. 3901 Fayetteville Road Lumberton, NC 28358
Scotland County:
- Scotland County High School; Opening Thursday at 10 a.m. 1200 West Church Street Laurinburg, NC 28352
- National Guard Armory; 1520 South Main St. Laurinburg, NC 28352
Over the coming hours and days, as our district braces for this storm, we will be constantly updating our Facebook and Twitter pages with the latest updates on Hurricane Florence, recovery efforts, and what those of us who are spared the worst of this storm can do to help those who face its wrath.
With God’s protection and guidance, we will all get through this storm and its aftermath together. Please put safety first and please reach out with a helping hand to anyone suffering as a result of this storm.
God Bless,
Mark
Mark Harris
EDITOR’S NOTE: It is fully recognized that the nature of this particular press release is NOT of a political flavor, but rather is intended to offer helpful information in preparation for the coming hurricane. However, given that its source of origin is a political organization, the Richmond Observer offers this caveat: The Richmond Observer strives to provide fair and objective coverage of any and all political issues, situations, and/or developments, regardless of party affiliation. It is also our policy to print news release material in its original format, as it was received, with minimal, if any, editorial adjustments.
