COMMUNITY RESOURCES • EDUCATION • WELLNESS
October’s community highlight · Hurricane preparedness

A little preparation.
A safer tomorrow.

When the weather changes, having a plan can make your next step clearer. Start with the essentials: stay informed, gather supplies, stay connected and know where to find shelter information.

Find Shelter Information →

Reviewed October 17, 2026 · Preparation guide, not a live emergency alert.

01 · Stay informed

Watch the weather. Have more than one way to get alerts.

Check the National Weather Service and official county announcements regularly. Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and sign up for county notifications. Keep a battery-powered or hand-crank weather radio for times when power or cell service is unavailable.

Follow local evacuation instructions. Decide how you will leave and where you will go before conditions become dangerous.

Check Your Local Forecast ↗Find County Alerts ↓
North Carolina weather connections

Your local weather, one tap away.

Choose a station for forecasts, radar and weather coverage. Check the location shown on the station’s page and select your city or ZIP code when available.

WRAL Weather Raleigh & central North CarolinaABC11 / WTVD Raleigh, Durham & FayettevilleWITN Weather Greenville & eastern North CarolinaWCTI NewsChannel 12 New Bern & eastern North Carolina

Links open the stations’ websites in a new tab. For shelter openings and evacuation instructions, also check official county updates.

Official guidance: National Weather Service hurricane planning

02 · Your emergency supplies

Food, water and the things your household needs.

ReadyNC recommends supplies for 3–7 days for every person and pet. Wayne County recommends preparing for at least a week. Keep your kit together and tell everyone where to find it.

Food & water

  • Store 1 gallon of water per person, per day for 3–7 days.
  • Choose shelf-stable food that fits your household’s needs.
  • Pack a manual can opener.
  • Include pet food and water.

Light & communication

  • Flashlights and spare batteries.
  • Battery-powered or hand-crank weather radio.
  • Phone chargers and a charged portable power bank.
  • Written emergency phone numbers.

Personal essentials

  • Prescription medicines, glasses and needed medical supplies.
  • First-aid kit, hygiene items and a change of clothes.
  • Copies of important documents in a protected bag, plus cash.
  • Infant feeding supplies, diapers and wipes, if needed.

Need help preparing? Tell your care manager or support person what is missing. Discuss transportation, equipment power needs and shelter accessibility early.

Official checklists: ReadyNC emergency kit · Wayne County preparedness

03 · Stay connected

Charge your phone. Share your plan.

  • Charge phones and portable batteries before the storm.
  • Share emergency phone numbers with everyone in your household. Keep a paper copy in your kit.
  • Choose an out-of-town contact everyone can check in with.
  • Agree on a safe meeting place if you become separated.
  • Try a text message if a non-emergency call will not connect; texts may get through when phone lines are busy.

For immediate danger or a medical emergency, call 911.

Planning reference: ReadyWake household communication plan

04 · Know where to go

Find shelter information before you need it.

County DSS and health departments can have important roles in shelter operations, working with Emergency Management and other partners. Roles vary by county. Use official county emergency updates to confirm which shelters are opening and when.

Check before you travel.

A building used as a shelter during a previous storm may not be open for the next one. Confirm the location, opening time, transportation options, accessibility, and arrangements for pets or service animals.

Check ReadyNC Shelter Information ↗

This page does not report live shelter openings. Check ReadyNC and your county’s latest announcements.

Public health’s shelter role: NC DHHS disaster shelter resources

Start with your county

These are Emergency Management office contacts for planning questions. Office hours vary; they are not emergency dispatch numbers. Ask where official shelter announcements will be posted and how to sign up for alerts.

Live in another county? Find Edgecombe, Lenoir, Wilson, Greene, Duplin, Johnston, Sampson and every other NC county in the official county Emergency Management directory ↗.

One step at a time

Our household readiness checklist

Check these as you prepare, or print this guide and share it with someone you support.

Checkmarks reset when this page reloads. Print to keep your completed checklist.

For care managers & community teams

Ask: How will you receive alerts? What supplies are missing? Who can help you leave? Where will you check shelter information? What medical equipment, transportation or accessibility needs should we plan for?

Document the individual’s actual responses, education provided, identified needs and agreed follow-up according to your organization’s requirements.

Trusted information, easy to find.

Independent community education from Elite Solution Group — Community Connections. Official agencies provide current alerts, shelter announcements and instructions.

References reviewed October 17, 2026: ReadyNC, National Weather Service, NC Emergency Management county directory, and the county pages linked above.