Dare County is under a Hurricane Watch and all areas of the county remain under a State of Emergency with mandatory evacuation orders in effect.

Confidence continues to increase that serious, life-threatening impacts from Hurricane Dorian will reach the area later this week. The time to make final preparations and evacuate is now.

The State of North Carolina will be opening shelters and locations will be available at readync.org or the ReadyNC app.

As of Tuesday afternoon around 4 p.m., access to Dare County was unrestricted and there will be no restrictions through Wednesday to allow final preparations to be made.

As the storm approaches, high winds, flooding from storm surge and heavy rainfall may lead to unsafe road conditions and closures. Emergency responders will be unable to respond to calls for assistance when conditions put their safety at risk.

Restrictions on ocean swimming are in place due to dangerous surf conditions and strong rip currents along the beaches. Everyone must stay out of the water as it is unsafe for even the most experienced swimmers.

Evacuation transportation available for those without access to vehicles

Transportation is available on Wednesday, Sept. 4 to a shelter in Rocky Mount for Dare County residents who do not have access to transportation. Individuals evacuating on the buses need to bring clothing and medications for seven days.

Shelters are available for dogs and cats. Owners can transport these pets on the buses. Pets are required to be in kennels. Owners need to bring their pet’s vaccination records with them.

The details are as follows:

Hatteras Island: Bus will be at Cape Hatteras Elementary School from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The bus will leave at 12:30 p.m. Transportation to Cape Hatteras Elementary School is available from Dare County Transportation System until 9:30 a.m.

Roanoke Island & Northern Beaches: A bus will be at the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau located at One Visitors Center Circle in Manteo off Highway 64 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The bus will leave at 2 p.m. Transportation to the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau is available from Dare County Transportation System until 12 noon.

Contact the Dare County Transportation System at 252-475-5640 to arrange transportation to departure points. Staff was available on Tuesday until 9 p.m. and will be available beginning at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 4.

Dare County 

Dare County offices will close at noon Wednesday, Sept. 4.

Commercial trash collection will be on the regular schedule for Wednesday, Sept. 4.

There will be no collection after Wednesday until the storm has passed.

Residents and businesses are encouraged to secure trash cans and dumpsters.

Town of Manteo

The regular meeting of the Town of Manteo Board of Commissioners scheduled for Sept. 4 has been postponed until further notice due to Hurricane Dorian. A new date for the meeting will be published on the Town website and social media after the emergency weather situation has passed.

Town of Nags Head

Nags Head’s Board of Commissioners meeting, originally scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 4 will be postponed to Monday, Sept. 16 at 9 a.m.

Trash and recycling carts on Nags Head’s blue sanitation route will be emptied tomorrow, Wednesday, Sept. 4 instead of Friday, Sept. 6. Do not set your trash or recycling carts out to be emptied anytime after the Wednesday collection as they could float or blow into the street or highway.

The town asks that homeowners and business owners takes steps to secure all outdoor equipment and/or furniture, including gas tanks and propane grills.

Kill Devil Hills

The Town of Kill Devil Hills was open for business as usual on Tuesday. The Town Hall will open at 8 a.m. Wednesday, September 4.

Regular refuse collections West of US 158 continued through Tuesday. An adjusted refuse collection East of US 158 will be made Wednesday, Sept. 4. Due to the impending effects of Hurricane Dorian, all refuse collections following Wednesday’s adjusted eastside collection will be postponed until the beginning of the week of Monday, Sept. 9.

The Recycle Center and Dry Trash Drop will be open at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4.

Also in preparation of the upcoming storm, make sure all refuse containers are secure once the collections have been made. Be sure to tie down or bring in any unsecured lawn items.

Town of Kitty Hawk

The Town of Kitty Hawk has declared a State of Emergency and has begun to prepare for Hurricane Dorian. All visitors and residents are encouraged to heed the mandatory evacuation orders in place. The town advises that emergency personnel will not be able to respond when conditions worsen.

Commercial trash collection will take place as scheduled on Wednesday, Sept. 4. There will be no residential trash collection in Kitty Hawk on Thursday, Sept. 5 and no further trash collection until weather permits. Roll in your trash cans and make sure they are secured along with other loose items. Do not leave your trash can in the right-of-way.

Town offices will be closed beginning Wednesday, Sept. 4.

The Recycle Center will remain closed for the remainder of the week. Windgrass Circle Park, Sandy Run Park and the Kitty Hawk Bath House will close the afternoon, Wednesday, Sept. 4 until further notice.

The Kitty Hawk Town Council meeting scheduled for Monday, Sept. 9 has been rescheduled for Monday, Sept. 16 at 6 p.m.

The town encourages you to take every measure to ensure the safety of your property, loved ones and pets.

Town of Southern Shores

Recycling will be collected as scheduled in Southern Shores on Wednesday, Sept. 4.

Town of Duck

All events cancelled this week.

The Town Council meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 4 is postponed until further notice.

No trash collection Friday, Sept. 6. Collection is expected to resume Monday, Sept. 9.

Additional information

Subscribe to receive emergency alerts via text, email or phone directly from Dare County Emergency Management at www.DareNC.com/alerts and follow @DareCountyEM on Twitter.

Monitor updated local weather forecasts from the National Weather Service at www.weather.gov/mhx.

The next update from Dare County Emergency Management will be issued on Wednesday, September 4 no later than noon.

READ ABOUT MORE NEWS AND EVENTS HERE.

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