Town, County get ready for Isabel
BY TAMIKA SPRUILL
Staff Writer
Town of Edenton and
Chowan County officials be
gan preparing for the projected
arrival of Hurricane Isabel
Monday, all the while hoping
that the efforts “will not be
sometime early Wednesday
morning.”
As of Monday afternoon,
Town and County officials
were getting word of predic
tions that storm surge in the
Albemarle Sound could be of
historical proportions. “Tues
day evening will be a critical
ness plan; we will be ready if
the storm hits.”
Departments are testing
equipment, especially chain
saws, emergency generators
and the like, Knighton said. “A
crew is cleaning catch basins.
All our vehicles have been
gassed up.”
needed come
Wednesday or
Thursday,” ac
cording to Ed
enton Town
Manager Anne
Marie Knigh
ton.
“EMS Direc
tor Doug Belch
called for a
briefing of all
town, county
and regional al
lied agencies
Monday after
noon,”
Knighton said.
“Traditionally,
Hurricane Isabel approaches the Carolina coast
Knighton noted
that state officials
have been in
touch with
Edenton’s airport
to ask about the
possibility of pur
chasing aviation
fuel during a re
covery effort.
“NCDOT leases
their office space
from our town at
the airport and
they recently in
stalled an emer
gency generator,
so if the state
needs fuel, we will
mis group gamers wnen se
vere weather warnings are is
sued.”
Knighton said that the group
“will likely meet Tuesday af
ternoon, and then several
times early Wednesday. Deci
sions regarding the opening of
shelters, the possible evacua
tion of flood-prone neighbor
hoods will likely be made
time tor decisions regarding
actions needed to protect our
citizens,” said County Man
ager Cliff Copeland.
“We urge everyone to take
heed of these warnings that
are being issued and be pre
pared,” added Town Manager
Anne-Marie Knighton. “Our
department heads are review
ing our hurricane prepared
be able to service the aircraft,”
she said.
Local residents are re
minded to call 482-4414 to re
port any power outages expe
rienced as a result of the hur
ricane. “We don’t want to over
load the 911 Central Communi
cations System with non-emer
gency calls,” she explained.
“We will have personnel at the
Electric Department to answer
calls.”
Knighton also reported that
she had been in touch with
Electricities, the organization
that administers the Public
Power Emergency Assistance
Program. “Usually, we are the
ones sending our guys to other
communities to help restore
power after a disaster strikes,”
she said. “Hopefully, that will
be the case with Hurricane
Isabel but if we do have
trouble, we know who to call
for help.”
At photo on left. Chowan County EMS Director Doug Belch, left, talks with Dr. Allan
Smith, Superintendent of the Edenton-Chowan Schools, during a special meeting Mon
day where town and county officials discussed plans for dealing with Hurricane Isabel. In
the photo on the right, town employee Chris Jackson removes the flags from downtown
Edenton as town braces for Isabel. (Staff photo by Tamika Spruill)
Many
events
altered
(Editor’s Note: The following
are notices of changes in sched
uled events due to the approach
ing hurricane that the Chowan
Herald had received by press
time.)
Friends of Chowan Hos
pital’s Rock Around the Clock
dinner and dance at Nixon’s
Catering has been rescheduled
for November 14th. The cur
rent tickets you hold will be
honored for the same event at
the same place. Call 482-6336 or
482-1932 for more information.
******
Albemarle Crisis Pregnancy
Center’s Walk for Life 2003 will
not be held on Saturday, Sep
tember 20, 2003 due to the
threat of Hurricane Isabel.
They ask that all recruiters >
collect pledge forms and dona
tions from their walkers and
turn them into one of the cen
ter offices. Special hours will
be set for Tuesday and Wednes
See EVENTS On Page 3-A
Mayor Roland Vaughan and Earl Willis look on
as Larry Ambrose from Triangle Construction,
boards up the windows at The Christian Book
Seller. Business owners up and down Broad
Street were taking precautions Tuesday for Hur
ricane Isabel. The large windows at most of the
downtown businesses are always a concern dur
ing high winds. (Photo by Debbie Collins)
ready to roll
if needed
MM
The North Carolina National Guard has a pool of 3,500 sol
diers and airmen on standby and another more than 1,500
available to respond to the state’s needs if and when Hurri
cane Isabel comes ashore.
“Some published reports would lead people to believe that
we are undermanned and unprepared, and that is simply not
the case,” said Maj, Gen. William E. Ingram Jr., commander
of the North Carolina National Guard. “Despite our commit
ments here in the United States and overseas, we have more
than enough people and equipment to serve the people of
North Carolina in the event of a natural disaster.”
The North Carolina National Guard has about 12,000 sol
diers and airmen in its ranks. Right now, about 1,800 of them
are on federal active duty either here in the United States of
overseas. Another 4,500, the soldiers of the 30th Heavy Sepa
rate Brigade headquartered in Clinton, NC, are on alert for
possibile mobilization in the coming weeks. That leaves a
surplus of more than 5,000 personnel for responding to other
contingencies, including natural disasters. The alert of the
30th has led to many of the questions about the Guard’s abil
ity to respond to a'state emergency. 1
“The mobilization of the 30th is having no impact on the
Guard’s ability to meet my needs in terms of disaster re
sponse,” said Dr. Ken Taylor, director of the North Carolina
Division of Emergency Management <NCEM). “We work to
gether on a regular basis. I know their execution of whatever
mission we call them to perform will be outstanding."
Local shelter sites
Chowan County officials said Monday that if the
need arises John A. Holmes High School and Chowan
Middle School would open late Wednesday afternoon
to serve as emergency shelters for our community.
A pet-friendly shelter will be open at the Old Walker
School Gym (now the Recreation Center). Opening
* times will be announced Wednesday on local radio sta
tions and television channels. Pet owners will need
to bring current vaccination and rabies records, car
riers with a secure door and a muzzle if the animal is
aggressive. All animals will be examined upon entry
and registration will take place at the shelter. For more
information please call 482-8431, .
Red Cross rules and regulations are still applicable
(no alcohol, firearms or smoking) for all shelters.
For more information call the Emergency Manage
ment Services office at 482-4365 or visit the Chowan
County website at town-ofedenton.com.
Decision to be made Wed.
afternoon on school closings
By Angela Perez
Staff Writer
As of noon Tuesday, Edenton-Chowan Schools
planned to have a regular school day on Wednes
day Administrators plan to meet by the end of
Wednesday’s school day to determine whether or
not school will be canceled on Thursday and Fri
day. “Of course, we do have plans and procedures,”
said Dr. Allan Smith, superintendent of Edenton
Chowan Schools, "on how best to deal with natu
ral disasters such as hurricanes. We are working
with school administrators and our maintenance
department to anticipate problems. We are work
ing through the planning process at this time.”
Smith went on to stress how all local government
and assistance agencies were working together at
this time. “The school is an integral part of the
community at large and so we are involved in area
response and how best to determine what we should
all do. That is if the storm does hit.”
Edenton-Chowan School administrators are stay
ing in close contact with local Emergency Medical
Services. EMS is providing periodic updates and
having daily meetings with school administrators
as they track the storm.
Smith went on to add, “Right now we are all at
the mercy of Isabel.”
School cancellations will be announced on local
radio and TV stations, as well as the Chowan
County School’s website homepage
(www.ecf>s.kl2.nc.us).
INSIDE THIS WEEK
Hurricane
Preparedness Tips
On Page 3-A
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into
conference
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Canaan Temple
Homecoming ‘03... 1-C
OLF threatens
sanctuary for
birds and more....4-A