In the past week, the name Dorian has found its way into the common vocabulary of many Americans in the southeastern United States. In this edition of the Daily News alone, the word appears multiple times, in multiple stories.

Whenever there’s the possibility of a hurricane in eastern North Carolina, it naturally generates a lot of attention. With that attention can also come a fair share of anxiety and concern, especially when uncertainty is a factor. That’s certainly been the case with Hurricane Dorian.

Add to that uncertainty images of widespread destruction in the Bahamas and a battered Florida coastline, and it’s easy to let one’s imagination run wild about what might happen here at home. When that happens, it doesn’t take much to cause a panic, and the results can be messy.

For the ones running the show, however, panic is not an option. Locally, emergency management officials, law enforcement, first responders, power crews and all the other people entrusted with public safety have to approach the situation with cool heads. At the very least, take comfort in knowing that these people are watching the storm closely, taking every action necessary to ensure the wellbeing for Beaufort County residents.

Take the opportunity now to make those final preparations. People in this area are no strangers to big storms, and experience reminds us what to do and what not to do. Use common sense. Pay attention to warnings, and take the storm seriously. Take the time to prepare yourself, your family and your property. But there’s no need to panic.