LUMBERTON – A cloudy sky hovered over areas of Lumberton on Wednesday as the workday continued as usual, but weather conditions in Robeson County were forecast to evolve into strong gusts, hail and rain on Thursday.
Stephanie Chavis, director of Robeson County Emergency Management, said she expected strong hail, 60 mph gusts and storms in the area on Thursday. On a scale of one to five, with five being the greatest risk of bad weather, the county planned four.
“A strong cold front will drive a storm line through the Carolinas, resulting in the potential for severe storms,” according to an overview of the situation on Wednesday from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
“Widespread, intense and long-lasting severe storms are increasingly likely. The main threats include harmful winds, strong tornadoes and strong hail. Frequent cloud-to-ground lightning strikes are also likely, especially with any of the strongest storms, ”part of the overview reads.
Inland areas in southeastern NC and northeastern South Carolina were expected to experience the greatest risks during Thursday’s “early hours of the afternoon”, according to the NWS.
She spent much of the day on Wednesday in conference call briefings with the National Weather Service and county department heads, Chavis said. She planned to inform the first respondents in law enforcement, emergency medical services and firefighters at about 6 pm on Wednesday to discuss plans and tell them to have chainsaws ready and vehicles fueled before the effects of the storm on Thursday.
“The department has added extra staff in case we have to deploy additional resources. Our equipment is ready and our respondents are trained to fulfill their obligations to the community, ”said Chris West, acting chief of the Lumberton Fire Department.
Chavis expects 1/4 to 1/2 inch of rain to fall in the county on Thursday.
“I don’t think we will have to worry about flooding,” she said.
However, the NWS on Wednesday extended the flood alert to the Lumber River in Lumberton, which was 12.5 feet at 9:50 am, until further notice. The flood stage is 13 feet. The river was expected to rise above the flood stage on Friday morning, with minor flooding expected.
Falling trees, power outages and possible tornadoes were expected, Chavis said.
“We are telling everyone to make sure the vehicles are fueled,” she said, in the event of a power outage.
Chavis also encouraged county residents to implement a plan that includes shelter in a basement or innermost room on the lowest floor of a building to protect themselves in the event of a tornado. She also said that ditches or canals are places where people can shelter from tornadoes if they are caught outside during a storm.
Duke Energy was monitoring weather conditions on Wednesday to prepare to serve its more than 24,000 customers across Robeson County, spokeswoman Grace Rountree said.
“Local line technicians, service teams and other personnel across Duke Energy’s service area are prepared to respond when outages and emergencies occur,” said Rountree.
“As part of the company’s preparation, workers are checking equipment, supplies and stocks to ensure that workers have adequate materials to make repairs and restore power failures. Duke Energy has made improvements to the network in and around the Lumberton area to strengthen the network against severe climate threats and make energy more reliable for our customers. These improvements help to reduce disruptions and allow Duke Energy to use teams and equipment more efficiently during a storm response, ”she added.
The Robeson County Public Schools planned to operate on a remote teaching schedule for students on Thursday because of the threat of bad weather. All PSRC Central Office employees and district employees were expected to operate on Thursday at telecommuting hours.
“Our maintenance teams will be on standby with chainsaws and dump trucks and ready to respond. We hope it will be a windy event, with felled trees and power lines, ”said Andrew Barksdale, public information officer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
The contractor responsible for building Interstate 295 on Interstate 95 in the northern part of the county, along with NCDOT, planned to monitor weather conditions and adjust accordingly, said Barksdale.
“We will stop working tomorrow afternoon, weather permitting,” he said in a statement.
Barksdale released safety tips for drivers traveling on the roads on Thursday.
“People should avoid unnecessary travel tomorrow, especially during and immediately after the storm,” he said.
“If you do venture out, be extremely cautious with any fallen trees and other debris you may encounter on roads where our teams have not yet been able to respond and clean up,” added Barksdale.
Road closures and updates can be found at DriveNC.gov.
State Farm shared tips on storm safety.
“If you’re at home, choose a place in the house where family members can get together if a tornado is coming your way. A basic rule is to AVOID WINDOWS. An exploding window can hurt or kill, ”says the State Farm statement in part.
State Farm suggests that people take shelter to cover themselves with blankets, sleeping bags, a mattress or hands to protect their heads. Areas under the floor with heavy appliances should also be avoided due to the risk of the appliances falling over.
Garbage cans and other large objects must be moved inside. The windows must be covered and the lanterns and batteries must be ready in the event of a power failure.
“Fill your vehicle’s tank. Do not forget the medicines, identification and money ”, says the extract in part.
After the storm occurs, State Farm also encourages residents to “document everything” to help with insurance claims, such as keeping receipts, taking pictures and making a list of damaged goods. Avoid discarding damaged furniture and properties until you speak to a claims representative.