SEDALIA. LET’S LISTEN IN. HURRICANE SEASON. IN FACT, EXPERTS ARE PREDICTING A PARTICULAR REALLY ACTIVE STORM SEASON THIS YEAR. TODAY, WE’RE PREPARING FOR THE FIRST NAMED STORM OF THE SEASON TO IMPACT OUR STATE AS HURRICANE IDALIA WORKS ITS WAY ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST. AFTER HITTING FLORIDA AND GEORGIA. OUR RESPONSE TEAMS HERE IN THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER ARE TRACKING THIS STORM AND PREPARING AROUND THE CLOCK ABOUT AN HOUR AGO, I SPOKE WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN AND YESTERDAY EVENING, I SPOKE WITH FEMA ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL. IT’S IMPORTANT FOR US TO COORDINATE WITH OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS IN TIMES LIKE THIS. WE’RE HOPING FOR THE BEST AND PREPARING THE WORST. ON MONDAY, I DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY. IT WAIVES RULES FOR TRANSPORTATION OF FUEL, GIVES FARMERS FLEXIBILITY TO QUICKLY HARVEST CROPS, HELPS LINE WORKERS RESTORE POWER AND GETS QUICK HELP WHERE IT’S NEEDED MOST. TODAY, THE FORECAST FOR NORTH CAROLINA HAS COME MORE INTO FOCUS HEAVY RAINFALL AND LOCALIZED FLOODING ARE OUR GREATEST THREATS AS SEDALIA APPROACHES THE SOUTHEASTERN CORNER, WE ALSO ANTICIPATE POSSIBLE FLASH FLOODING ACROSS THE PIEDMONT AND COASTAL PLAIN. SO EVERYONE NEEDS TO STAY ALERT. HEAVIER RAINFALL OF 5 TO 8IN EAST OF I 95 IS EXPECTED LATER THIS EVENING AND INTO EARLY TOMORROW. SO WHEN IT HITS US, THIS STORM WILL LIKELY BE NEAR TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH. TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS ARE NOW IN EFFECT FOR OUR ENTIRE COAST. IF YOU’RE IN THE AFFECTED AREA AND YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY STOCK UP ON SUPPLIES, NOW, LISTEN TO EMERGENCY ALERTS AND STAY OFF THE FLOODED ROADS. OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS, THE NATIONAL GUARD AND STATE HIGHWAY PATROL TROOPERS AND TRANSPORTATION AND LOCAL FIRST RESPONDERS ARE STAGED ACROSS THE STATE AND WORKING TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. I’VE AUTHORIZED THE NATIONAL GUARD ACTIVATION, WHICH MEANS SOLDIERS AND VEHICLES ARE STAGED IN KEY AREAS READY TO DEPLOY WHEN AND IF THEY’RE NEEDED. SWIFT WATER RESCUE TEAMS ARE PREPARING TO DEPLOY IN EASTERN AND CENTRAL PARTS OF OUR STATE. SO FAR, SEVERAL COUNTIES AND CITIES HAVE DECLARED THEIR OWN LOCAL STATES OF EMERGENCY, WHILE THE STATEWIDE STATE OF EMERGENCY REMAINS IN EFFECT. WE DO EXPECT POWER OUTAGES AND ARE WORKING WITH OUR UTILITY PARTNERS ON A SWIFT RESPONSE. OUR DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION UTILIZES DRONES AND WEATHER EVENTS LIKE THIS TO SURVEY DAMAGE AND THEIR WORKERS STAND READY TO IDENTIFY TROUBLE AND HELP CLEAR ROADWAYS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. WE EXPECT WINDS, RAIN AND FLOODING TO CONTINUE TO IMPACT OUR STATE EVEN INTO SATURDAY. I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO LISTEN TO LOCAL OFFICIALS AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A PLAN. IF YOU ARE IN AN AREA WITH A FLOOD RISK, PREPARE AN EMERGENCY KIT. IF YOU DON’T HAVE ONE. THIS IS THE FIRST STORM OF THE SEASON AND IT MAY NOT BE THE LAST. SO GO TO REDI NC DOT GOV TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT. TODAY I’M JOINED UP HERE BY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR WILL RAY, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY SECRETARY, EDDIE BUFFALO, OUR TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY ERIC BOYETTE THE ADJUTANT GENERAL OF THE NORTH CAROLINA NATIONAL GUARD. TODD HUNT, COLONEL FREDDIE JOHNSON, THE COMMANDER OF THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE HIGHWAY PATROL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR PLANNING. KATIE WEBSTER, OUR AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS ARE CARRYING MAGOON JEFF GREER AND MARK LINEBERGER. AND BEHIND THE SCENES, AS ALWAYS, OUR SPANISH LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS, JACKIE METIVIER AND ERICA KUGLER. AT THIS TIME, I’LL ASK DIRECTOR RAY FOR HIS UPDATE. THANK YOU, GOVERNOR COOPER. COOPER AND GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. UM, ON MONDAY OF THIS WEEK, THE STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTER MOVED TO AN ENHANCED WATCH. THIS MORNING WE FULLY ACTIVATED THE STATED ACTIVATED THE STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM HERE IN RALEIGH AND AT OUR REGIONAL COORDINATION CENTERS IN KINSTON AND BURLINGTON. WE WILL REMAIN IN 24 HOUR OPERATIONS UNTIL THE THREAT FROM HURRICANE IDALIA HAS PASSED OUR CONCERNS FOR THIS EVENT ARE WIDESPREAD. HEAVY RAINS WITH LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING AND MODERATE RIVERINE AND COASTAL FLOODING ALONG WITH INCREASED TORNADO AND SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTERS IN DUPLIN, NEW HANOVER, ONSLOW AND PENDER COUNTIES HAVE ALL BEEN ACTIVATED AND MANY OTHERS ARE MONITORING THE STORM AND IMPACTS IN THEIR COUNTIES. COLUMBUS COUNTY HAS DECLARED A LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY IN ADDITION TO A NUMBER OF OTHER JURISDICTIONS. STAFF FROM NORTH CAROLINA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ARE WORKING ALONGSIDE OUR KEY GOVERNMENT, PRIVATE SECTOR AND NONPROFIT AND VOLUNTEER PARTNERS THAT MAKE UP THE STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM. WE ARE CLOSELY MONITORING IDALIA’S PROGRESS AND COORDINATING WITH OUR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE COUNTIES HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO RESPOND TO THE IMPACTS OF THIS STORM. IN ADDITION TO THE RESOURCES, OUR LOCAL JURISDICTION ARE ACTIVATING TO SUPPORT RESPONSE OPERATIONS, WE HAVE MOVED A NUMBER OF RESOURCES INTO POSITION TODAY TO SUPPORT AREAS THAT COULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED. WE HAVE SEVEN SWIFT WATER RESCUE TEAMS, WHICH EQUATES TO 16 BOAT CREWS THAT ARE STAGED IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS ACROSS THE EASTERN AND CENTRAL PARTS OF THE STATE AND READY TO MOVE QUICKLY TO AREAS WHERE THEY COULD BE NEEDED. LIKEWISE, RESOURCES FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA NATIONAL GUARD, INCLUDING ABOUT 130 PERSONNEL WITH OVER 60 VEHICLES THAT CAN MOVE THROUGH HIGH WATER, ARE STAGED AND READY TO DEPLOY QUICKLY FROM KINSTON, ELIZABETHTOWN, ROCKINGHAM AND LILLINGTON BRUNSWICK NORTH HAMPTON AND TYRRELL PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL ARE OR HAVE ALREADY RELEASED EARLY TODAY. BEAUFORT BRUNSWICK. CRAVEN. DUPLIN. GREENE. JONES. LENOIR. ONSLOW. PAMLICO PITT. ROBESON SAMPSON SCOTLAND AND WAYNE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS HAVE ALREADY CLOSED FOR TOMORRW. BLADEN CARTERET COLUMBUS DARE HARNETT HOKE HYDE. BOTH MAINLAND AND OCRACOKE NEW HANOVER PENDER AND TYRRELL WILL BE REMOTE OR ASYNCHRONOUS TOMORROW AS WELL. IN ADDITION TO THE PREPAREDNESS STEPS GOVERNOR COOPER MENTIONED MAKE SURE YOU PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO YOUR LOCAL WEATHER FORECAST AND HAVE MULTIPLE WAYS TO RECEIVE WEATHER ALERTS AND WARNINGS FOR FOLLOW ANY DIRECTIONS THAT MAY BE ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. BE PREPARED FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF POWER OUTAGES AND FLASH FLOODING. AND REMEMBER TO AVOID DRIVING ON FLOODED ROADS. TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN IF YOU HAVE YARD WASTE ON YOUR CURB, MOVE THAT AWAY FROM THE STREET SO IT DOES NOT WASH AWAY AND CLOG STORM DRAINS. THAT COULD CAUSE OR WORSEN FLASH FLOODING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. IF YOUR POWER GOES OUT, BE PREPARED WITH BATTERY POWERED LIGHT SOURCES. AVOID USING CANDLES AND NEVER USE A GENERATOR OR GRILL INSIDE YOUR HOME OR GARAGE GENERATORS AND GRILLS CREATE DEADLY CARBON MONOXIDE FUMES, AS ALWAYS. AND AS THE GOVERNOR MENTIONED. READY NC.GOV IS YOUR SOURCE FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION TO MAKE SURE YOUR FAMILY IS READY ONCE THE STORM HAS PASSED AND WE ENSURE THE NEEDS ARE MET HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA, WE WILL QUICKLY ASSESS AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES AND TURN OUR ATTENTION TO HELPING OTHER STATES THAT WERE HIT HARDER THAN NORTH CAROLINA. THANK YOU TO OUR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES FOR THE WORK THEY ARE DOING TODAY TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY. AS THE STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM STANDS READY TO SUPPORT THE 10.6 MILLION NORTH CAROLINIANS AND VISITORS. FINALLY, HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA, WE UTILIZE A WHOLE OF COMMUNITY APPROACH, AND EACH OF YOU ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT. REMEMBER TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES AND YOUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THOSE FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS WHO MAY BE VULNERABLE OR NEED ASSISTANCE. THANK YOU, GOVERNOR. OKAY. FOR THE REPORTERS IN THE ROOM, IF YOU CAN APPROACH THE MICROPHONE ON THE SIDE, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS AND THEN IF ANYONE, ANY REPORTERS HAVE CALLED IN, WE’LL GO TO THOSE. YES, SIR. GOVERNOR JOSH CHAPIN HERE, ABC 11. IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT YOUR FOCUS LESS ON THE TRIANGLE AND THE RALEIGH DURHAM AREA YOU MENTIONED EAST OF I-95, SO MAYBE IT COULD BE MORE SPECIFIC. AND WE SEE SOME OF THE SCHOOL CLOSURES THERE. SO IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT IT’S NOT TRIANGLE FOCUSED? ONE OF THE THINGS PEOPLE NEED TO REMEMBER, YOU SEE THIS CONE OF INFO, SO TO SPEAK, OF THE HURRICANE. YOU CAN STILL FEEL EFFECTS WAY OUTSIDE OF THAT ZONE. SO WE DO EXPECT RAIN HERE IN THE TRIANGLE, BUT WE THINK MOST OF THE STORM, MOST OF THE HEAVIER RAINS WILL BE EAST OF I-95. AND ALONG OUR COAST, WE DO HAVE TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS ALL UP AND DOWN THE COAST. WE’RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR STORM SURGE AND ALWAYS IS. WE WANT TO KEEP AN EYE OUT ON FLASH FLOODING AND POTENTIALLY RIVERINE FLOODING. WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT THAT YET. THIS STORM IS MOVING FASTER THAN PEOPLE HAD ANTICIPATED. THAT MEANS WE’RE GOING TO GET SOME STRONGER WINDS THAN WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO GET, BUT MAYBE LESS RAIN. YES, DON VAUGHN WITH THE NEWS AND OBSERVER. YOU MENTIONED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOPING FOR THE BEST, PREPARING FOR THE WORST, WHAT OF THE PAST HURRICANE SEASONS HERE? THE LESSONS THAT THAT YOU’VE TAKEN AS FAR AS BEING READY FOR? YOU KNOW, WHAT WE KNOW IS COMING AND WHAT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, DAYS OUT AS FAR AS FLOODING OR ANYTHING ELSE? YEAH, I THINK WE’VE LEARNED SOMETHING FROM EVERY STORM. AND IN FACT, WE LEARNED THAT WE NEEDED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR RIVERS AND WHERE THEY WERE IN POTENTIAL FLOODING STAGE. AND SO WE’VE PUT IN THE FEYNMAN SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR WHERE OUR RIVERS ARE SO THAT LOCAL OFFICIALS CAN PROVIDE INFORMATION AND WARNINGS AND EVACUATIONS TO PEOPLE THAT MAY LIVE ON THE RIVER. AND MAY BE IN DANGER OF FLOODING. WE’VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT WHAT WHAT WE NEED TO DO WITH OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM AND GETTING OUR ROADS OPEN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. WELL, I THINK NORTH CAROLINA’S EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA HAS SHOWN US THAT COORDINATION IS MOST IMPORTANT. AND I THINK ACROSS THE COUNTRY, PEOPLE WILL LOOK AT OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER. PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO LOOK AT HOW WE OPERATE HERE, BECAUSE NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS HERE, WE HAVE OUR UTILITIES, WE HAVE OUR MEDICAL PEOPLE. WE HAVE OUR PRIVATE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. WE HAVE OUR VOLUNTEER GROUPS THAT ARE ALL HERE WORKING IN A COORDINATED EFFORT, TRYING TO COVER GAPS AND MAKING SURE THE PEOPLE OF NORTH CAROLINA ARE PROTECTED AND THAT WE CAN RECOVER AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS IN THE ROOM OR DO WE HAVE ANY ONLINE? OKAY. YES. MY FIRST QUESTION ON THE PHONE IS FROM KENNY BECK WITH WXII 12 NEWS. CAN YOU GO AHEAD. HI, GOVERNOR. THANKS FOR TAKING MY CALL. GENERALLY SPEAKING, NOT SEDALIA SPECIFIC, GIVEN HOW WARM THIS SUMMER HAS BEEN AND HOW WARM THE ATLANTIC AND THE GULF BOTH ARE RIGHT NOW ARE YOU MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE REMAINDER OF HURRICANE SEASON AND ITS POTENTIAL IMPACT ON OUR STATE? ARE YOU MORE CONCERNED ABOUT 2023 THAN YOU HAVE BEEN IN YEARS PAST, OR IS IT ABOUT THE SAME? WELL, FIRST, WE CANNOT LOSE FOCUS ON WHAT IS COMING AT US. SO THAT’S OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE READY FOR THIS STORM. BUT I DON’T THINK THERE’S ANY QUESTION THAT WITH THE PREDICTIONS OF A GREATER THAN AVERAGE STORM YEAR, THAT WE NEED TO BE READY AND UNDERSTAND THAT THESE STORMS CAN COME AT US ANY WAY. AND SO WE REALLY WANT PEOPLE TO PREPARE THEIR HOMES, HAVE THAT EMERGENCY KIT, HAVE THAT EVACUATION PLAN. THESE ARE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO NOW, EVEN IF YOU’RE IN THE TRIAD LIKE YOU, AND DON’T EXPECT A WHOLE LOT FROM THIS STORM GETTING READY FOR THE NEXT ONE, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO DO. AND AS A STATE, AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO TO WHAT IS HAPPENING ACROSS THE PLANET, THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, WE KNOW THESE STORMS ARE GOING TO BE MORE FEROCIOUS. IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO BECOME AS RESILIENT AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. AND WHEN WE BUILD, BUILD AND REPAIR AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE READY FOR THE YEARS AHEAD AND. WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM SAM WALKER AT SAM WALKER. GO AHEAD. THANKS, GOVERNOR. JUST SOME WORDS FOR OUR VISITORS THAT ARE HERE WITH THIS BEING THE FINAL WEEK BEFORE LABOR DAY, NOT ONLY HERE ON THE OUTER BANKS ALL UP AND DOWN THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST. A FEW WORDS FOR THEM, WHAT THEY SHOULD EXPECT, WHAT THEY SHOULD BE READY FOR. YEAH, WELL, WE LOVE OUR TOURISTS IN NORTH CAROLINA. WE KNOW THEY COME FROM CERTAINLY ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND EVEN ALL OVER THE WORLD FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL BEACHES, THOUGH THEY ARE HERE, THEY NEED TO BE CAREFUL. WHILE WE ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY EVACUATION ORDERS THAT LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE GIVING. BUT WHEN YOU DO HAVE TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS, IT’S IMPORTANT TO TRY TO STAY INSIDE AND STAY OFF OF THE ROAD FOR THE PERIOD OF TIME THAT THE BAD WEATHER IS HERE AND JUST BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES FOR A LITTLE WHILE. YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY SEE THAT IF WE’RE IF WE GET THROUGH THIS, THEY CAN STILL HAVE A WEEKEND THAT WILL BE POSITIVE. BUT UNTI