The City of New Bern is keeping an eye on the weekend weather forecast with a tropical system headed up the coast. The storm has been described as a sub-tropical system with the possibility of becoming Tropical Cyclone Sixteen.
Residents and visitors should expect significant weather impacts beginning today through tomorrow. In eastern North Carolina, we’re expecting 3-4” of rain, increasing winds and wind gusts up to 38 miles per hour, localized flash flooding, and 3-5’ of storm surge. With increasing winds, we anticipate scattered power outages. Please take precautions now for severe weather and stay tuned to local forecasts. Gather supplies and food, and secure your property, including outdoor items, against increasing winds and other storm impacts. If you live in a low-lying area, you are encouraged to prepare for flooding associated with this system.
City staff are spending today preparing for the storm. Public Works started first thing this morning checking stormwater infrastructure, cleaning and clearing drainageways to help facilitate the movement of stormwater as rain and storm surge increase. Residents can help in this effort by clearing stormwater drains near their homes that may be clogged with leaves, pine straw, litter, and other debris. The City’s stormwater pumps located at Jack Smith Creek and East Rose Street are prepped and ready and will come on automatically as water levels rise. Public Works is also staging barricades in areas prone to flooding, and will continually monitor these areas for possible closures due to flooded conditions.
City crews are topping off fuel levels in vehicles and equipment, testing generators, checking supplies, and making sure needs can be met for mitigating power outages, water and sewer emergencies, and debris removal. Supplemental and on-call staff are scheduled to work today and throughout the weekend. We do not anticipate opening the City’s Emergency Operations Center on Highway 55, but it is on standby and will be mobilized if necessary.
If you are a city customer and you lose power, report it by using our website portal at www.NewBernNC.gov/poweroutage, or call us at (252)636-4070. You do not need to speak to an operator. Leave a detailed message with your address, type of emergency, and contact info. If there is a cell phone number associated with your utility account, you will automatically receive a text message in the event of a power outage.
Residents are strongly encouraged to subscribe to the City’s emergency and general notification system, New Bern Alerts. It’s free and alerts subscribers to emergencies and general info through text messaging, emails, or phone calls. You can sign up by visiting www.NewBernNC.gov/NewBernAlerts. Or, you can download the myAlerts app to your smartphone for instant alerts issued by the National Weather Service.
The City will post additional storm updates and information, as necessary, to its social media platforms. Find us on Facebook at City of New Bern, NC Government or on Instagram at @cityofnewbern. Updates will also be posted on the homepage of our website at www.NewBernNC.gov.
