During and after Hurricane Dorian, a number of resources are available for Beaufort County residents to access important services, report power outages and to check on road closures.

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS

Use 911 for emergencies only. In some cases, emergency personnel will be unable to respond to calls from individuals in low-lying areas.

Those with special medical needs who need to arrange transportation to a medical shelter can call Beaufort County Emergency services at 252-946-2046.

A disaster relief hotline had not yet been established for Beaufort County as of press time on Thursday. If a hotline is established, that information will be posted to www.thewashingtondailynews.com as soon as possible.

 

POWER OUTAGES

High winds were forecasted for much of Beaufort County on Thursday, continuing into Friday. With high winds, power outages and communications failures are always a possibility. For the latest updates on power outages, or to report an outage, the following resources are available for local residents.

Tideland EMC — Before calling to report a power outage, check the breakers in your home or business to make sure the problem is not related to internal causes. Outages can be reported at 1-800-882-1001 (in Beaufort County call 252-944-2400) A live outage map can be found at www.tidelandemc.com under the storm center tab.

To receive text alerts from Tideland directly to your cell phone, text the letters TEMC to short code 85700. You will immediately receive a confirmation text message. You must reply with your Tideland EMC account number to complete the activation process. To deactivate the service, text STOP to short code 85700 or reply STOP to any text message received. Data and message fees may apply depending on the terms of your cellular service.

Duke Energy —  A live map of outages for Duke Energy customers can be found at www.duke-energy.com/outages. Outages can also be reported at that site, as well as by calling 800-769-3766, or via the Duke Energy mobile app. To receive text alerts, text REG to 57801.

Washington Electric Utilities — Washington Electric Utilities customers should call 252-975-9320 to report power outages. Someone is available in Washington to take your call, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

ROAD CLOSURES

With storm surge and flooding expected from rain, flooded roadways are possible. For local road conditions, The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office has activated a website that shows a map of impassible roadways. The map is updated on a frequently and can be accessed at sartopo.com/m/QED0.

For updates on road conditions regionally and statewide, the North Carolina Department of Transportation travel information system can be accessed at tims.ncdot.gov/tims.

Never drive through water on flooded roadways, no matter how deep the water appears to be. Remember to turn around, don’t drown.

SHELTER INFORMATION

Beaufort County Emergency Services has opened an emergency shelter at Washington High School. The shelter opened at 8 a.m. Thursday morning. Beaufort County declared a mandatory evacuation of flood-prone areas throughout the area on Thursday Morning. People seeking shelter at the high school should bring necessities to last at least a few days.

A shelter for Hyde County evacuees has been established at Northampton County Cultural and Wellness Center, located at 9536 N.C. Hwy 305, Jackson.

PETS

Evacuees staying at the shelter may check their animals into the Beaufort County Animal Shelter. In order to do so, one must have a verification form provided by the shelter staff at WHS.

For those leaving town during the storm, pets should always be a part of the evacuation plan. The website www.petswelcome.com provides options for pet-friendly hotels throughout the state.