Onslow emergency officials urge residents to prepare now as hurricane season begins

Stacy Miles, deputy director of Onslow County Emergency Services, urged Onslow County residents to use clear weather days to prepare for the Atlantic hurricane season. "It doesn't matter how many storms are predicted. It only takes one," Miles said, urging people to focus on storm tracks and intensity rather than seasonal counts.

Miles advised households to assemble emergency kits with water, shelf-stable food and a battery-backed NOAA weather radio; to designate three potential evacuation cities and hotels; and to plan pet care (food, leashes and pet-friendly lodging). She noted official guidance resources such as ready.gov and FEMA and recommended multiple ways to receive alerts, including the county alerts system and National Weather Service updates.

On when to evacuate, Miles said residents should consider specific property hazards — floodplain exposure or structural vulnerability to high winds — and aim to leave before tropical-force winds prevent emergency responders from safely traveling. She cautioned that during and immediately after storms there are heightened risks from cleanup activity: "Don't have [a generator] in the garage, don't have it near a window," she said, warning of carbon-monoxide danger, and recommended hiring professionals rather than untrained residents using chainsaws.

Miles also outlined a forthcoming county "disaster-ready" training week that will exercise the emergency operations center, practice damage assessment with new software, coordinate with debris contractors and mobilize a citizen phone bank. She closed with a reminder to keep cash on hand for immediate purchases when card systems are unavailable and to sign up for county alerts for real-time guidance.

The county stressed that preparedness choices — whether to shelter in place or evacuate — depend on local hazard exposure and the storm's track; officials said local and state resources will provide updates as events develop.