Guilford County officials are declaring a State of Emergency effective at Noon on Friday, September 30, 2022 in anticipation of inclement weather from Hurricane Ian projected to affect the local area. The declaration is precautionary in the event forecasted amounts shift and create greater impacts to the Guilford County area. Counties are authorized to declare a state of emergency in the event of anticipated property damage or life safety concerns as a result of emergency related events. It is a common practice to issue declarations early to allow communities to submit for reimbursement of any costs associated with pre-staging of emergency assets, if needed.
The National Weather Service currently projects wind and rain will continue to increase for Guilford County in the afternoon and evening hours and the area is likely to see sustained winds between 25 and 35mph with some gusts potentially reaching 50mph or more. The probability for higher wind gusts increases to our south. Guilford County is also anticipated to receive significant rainfall during the storm which could lead to flash flooding in some areas. The current forecast predicts the most impactful time period for our area to be between 2:00pm and midnight Friday.
The State of Emergency will be declared for all incorporated areas of Guilford County to include the City of Greensboro, City of High Point, Towns of Gibsonville, Jamestown, Pleasant Garden, Sedalia, Stokesdale, Summerfield, Oak Ridge, and Whitsett.
Residents are encouraged to stay alert and sign up to receive emergency notifications from Guilford County by signing up for the Guilford Emergency Alert Notification Information (GEANI) system by visiting www.readyGuilford.com. Residents should use caution when traveling and ensure they have an emergency kit available should portions of the community lose power or experience flash flooding. Motorists should never attempt to cross a flooded roadway and residents should not enter flooded structures. Additionally, residents are encouraged to limit travel so as not to interfere with efforts of emergency responders and repair crews.
“Given the uncertainty we have already seen with this storm, we want to ensure the county is ready for any challenges we may experience,” said Guilford County Board of Commissioners Chairman Melvin “Skip” Alston. “Our number one concern is for the safety of our residents and to ensure our county staff have all the tools necessary to aid our community in the event this storm impacts are greater than currently predicted.”
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