A state of emergency has been declared and a mandatory evacuation order for all visitors and residents on Hatteras Island will be in effect beginning today, Monday, Sept. 10 at noon. This includes all areas of Hatteras Island including the villages of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras Village.

A mandatory evacuation for residents and visitors in other areas of Dare County goes into effect beginning Tuesday, September 11 at 7 a.m. This includes the towns of Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, Manteo; Roanoke Island; and the Dare County mainland.

The Dare County Control Group met Monday morning and has determined that a mandatory evacuation for all visitors and residents is necessary to ensure safety.  Hurricane Florence is currently projected to be a category 3 or 4 storm at landfall in southeastern North Carolina and may bring life-threatening storm surge to Dare County, along with tropical storm force winds, heavy rains and the potential for tornadoes. Even a small northward shift in the track of the storm could bring devastating impacts to our area.

Everyone in Dare County is encouraged to evacuate as soon as possible regardless of the established time frames. Visitors should take all personal belongings and follow instructions from their property management company.

Those evacuating to areas north of Dare County are encouraged to consider traveling westbound on Highway 64 to Interstate 95. Evacuating through the rural areas to the west of Dare County will help avoid traffic backups and congestion that may prolong evacuation by traveling northbound through the Hampton Roads portion of Virginia. Be sure to check the weather forecast for travel conditions for the route you will be traveling and for your destination.

The state of emergency includes restrictions on swimming 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.

Bulletins will periodically be issued by the Joint Information Center and the next scheduled update will be no later than 6:00 p.m. Monday. Visit www.darenc.com for updated information, videos, and relevant links to official sources.

To receive notifications directly from Dare County Emergency Management, visit www.darenc.com/emergencyalerts and follow @DareCountyEM on Twitter.

Due to the current state of emergency, reentry passes are not being issued by Dare County Emergency Management. Non-resident property owners are reminded that permits with an April 1, 2018 expiration date remain valid through December 30. Permanent residents use a valid driver’s license with a Dare County address for reentry. A current tax bill or parcel data sheet with matching current government issued ID will also suffice. To review guidelines, visit www.darenc.com/reentry.