We just passed through the eye of a Hurricane. Winds gusted to 90 mph. Routine winds averaged 60 mph in morning, but have abated in afternoon to 40 mph. The eye hit land and was 40 miles NE of us on the eastern NC shoreline. Camp Lejeune, our Marine Corps base here, is still without power. 30,000 residents, excluding the base, were without power. It just returned at 1308 EST. Trees limbs and some trees down. City on lockdown and curfew. The storm now heads NE along the Atlantic towards Norfolk, VA. All ships set sail on Thursday and Friday. Worst is over here. An updated story from our local paper.
http://www.jdnews.com/news/storm-94442-officials-until.html
Officials: Stay inside! Storm not over until after 6 p.m.
August 27, 2011 1:46 PM
Officials are warning residents to remain in doors until the entire storm has passed.
“My biggest concern right now is people getting out too soon,” said Jacksonville Mayor Sammy Phillips. “We've got a lot of trees down and it's dangerous for people to be out on sight-seeing tours.”
Phillips said people on the road hinders efforts to clean up debris and restore power.”
“We have a curfew for a reason when people break it they put responders in jeopardy,” he said.
Jacksonville emergency officials report flooded roads, toppled trees and downed powerlines across the city.
Gale force winds from Hurricane Irene will remain in the area until past 6 p.m. Curfews remain in effect until later tonight or early Sunday.
More than five hours after the eye of Irene skirted Swansboro, all the town's fire and police chiefs could do is wait for the remaining high winds and heavy rains to pass.
“This biggest problem we have right now is flying debris, downed powerlines and people driving through town who should be home obeying the curfew,” said an exhausted Ed Parrish, the town's police chief.
The town has five police officers and 10 firefighters on duty.
“We're watching the storm as it passes by and waiting when it will be safe to go around town to do a damage assessment,” said Fire Chief Bob Penrod.
When winds do subside, Penrod said he has more than 15 issues to address throughout town.
Wind and rain were still whipping street signs and tearing vinyl siding from houses along Old Hammock Road. The firehouse recorded a wind gust of 91 mph at 9:30 a.m. today.
Penrod said his station received two emergency calls from town residents that were resolved by his staff.
A room at the Hampton Inn & Suites was flooded and the recently opened hotel was without power, said Penrod.
“The wind and amount of debris blowing around makes it really hazardous,” Parrish said, adding residents need to remain safely inside their homes or wherever they are staying until Hurricane Irene has cleared the area completely.
Swansboro residents living on Halls Creek reported seeing a twister touchdown and destroy trees in the backyard of a house on Wild Oak Drive.
The touchdown is said to have happened at 2 a.m. and several trees were found mangled in a circular pattern in that area after daybreak, Wild Oak Drive resident Joe Hill said this afternoon.
The twister has not been officially recognized by the National Weather Service, said Casey Dail, a duty forecaster with the NWS in Newport.
“Other than hurricane force winds, we haven't determined any other activity in Onslow County,” she said.
Across the White Oak River in Carteret County, a car-sized sink hole has opened near the Cedar Point grill, according to multiple reports.
Onslow and Carteret County officials have begun preparations for storm recovery.
“Although flooding and storm surge were not as severe as originally expected, localized flooding still poses a problem in some areas,” said county spokeswoman Lisa Whitman-Grice.
Downed power lines and fallen trees are obstructing some roadways, she said.
Onslow County emergency officials will begin a preliminary damage survey at 5 p.m., reviewing vegetative debris and structural damage in preparation to make decisions regarding debris removal.
Residents are reminded that Onslow County remains under a state of emergency. Residents are encouraged to remain in their sheltered locations at this time. For additional information, please contact the Onslow County citizens phone bank at 910-989-5027.
“My biggest concern right now is people getting out too soon,” said Jacksonville Mayor Sammy Phillips. “We've got a lot of trees down and it's dangerous for people to be out on sight-seeing tours.”
Phillips said people on the road hinders efforts to clean up debris and restore power.”
“We have a curfew for a reason when people break it they put responders in jeopardy,” he said.
Jacksonville emergency officials report flooded roads, toppled trees and downed powerlines across the city.
Gale force winds from Hurricane Irene will remain in the area until past 6 p.m. Curfews remain in effect until later tonight or early Sunday.
More than five hours after the eye of Irene skirted Swansboro, all the town's fire and police chiefs could do is wait for the remaining high winds and heavy rains to pass.
“This biggest problem we have right now is flying debris, downed powerlines and people driving through town who should be home obeying the curfew,” said an exhausted Ed Parrish, the town's police chief.
The town has five police officers and 10 firefighters on duty.
“We're watching the storm as it passes by and waiting when it will be safe to go around town to do a damage assessment,” said Fire Chief Bob Penrod.
When winds do subside, Penrod said he has more than 15 issues to address throughout town.
Wind and rain were still whipping street signs and tearing vinyl siding from houses along Old Hammock Road. The firehouse recorded a wind gust of 91 mph at 9:30 a.m. today.
Penrod said his station received two emergency calls from town residents that were resolved by his staff.
A room at the Hampton Inn & Suites was flooded and the recently opened hotel was without power, said Penrod.
“The wind and amount of debris blowing around makes it really hazardous,” Parrish said, adding residents need to remain safely inside their homes or wherever they are staying until Hurricane Irene has cleared the area completely.
Swansboro residents living on Halls Creek reported seeing a twister touchdown and destroy trees in the backyard of a house on Wild Oak Drive.
The touchdown is said to have happened at 2 a.m. and several trees were found mangled in a circular pattern in that area after daybreak, Wild Oak Drive resident Joe Hill said this afternoon.
The twister has not been officially recognized by the National Weather Service, said Casey Dail, a duty forecaster with the NWS in Newport.
“Other than hurricane force winds, we haven't determined any other activity in Onslow County,” she said.
Across the White Oak River in Carteret County, a car-sized sink hole has opened near the Cedar Point grill, according to multiple reports.
Onslow and Carteret County officials have begun preparations for storm recovery.
“Although flooding and storm surge were not as severe as originally expected, localized flooding still poses a problem in some areas,” said county spokeswoman Lisa Whitman-Grice.
Downed power lines and fallen trees are obstructing some roadways, she said.
Onslow County emergency officials will begin a preliminary damage survey at 5 p.m., reviewing vegetative debris and structural damage in preparation to make decisions regarding debris removal.
Residents are reminded that Onslow County remains under a state of emergency. Residents are encouraged to remain in their sheltered locations at this time. For additional information, please contact the Onslow County citizens phone bank at 910-989-5027.
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