Pender County Emergency Management urged residents on May 3 to review and update their emergency plans and supply kits as the Atlantic hurricane season approaches. The hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, bringing the risk of severe storms and flooding.
The call for preparedness comes during Hurricane Preparedness Week in North Carolina, which is recognized from May 3 through May 9 by the National Weather Service. Local officials stress that planning ahead can help protect families, homes, and businesses during extreme weather events.
“It’s not too early to prepare for hurricane season. Make a plan for your family, including pets,” said Tommy Batson, Pender County Emergency Management Director. “No matter the predictions, it only takes one hurricane to make it a bad year.” Batson encouraged residents to use resources such as ReadyNC.gov for downloadable emergency plan templates and recommended regular reviews and practice of these plans with all household members.
The county has faced significant impacts from past hurricanes like Florence, which caused major flooding and long-term recovery challenges. Officials recommend storing important documents in secure locations and reviewing insurance policies—especially flood coverage—as standard homeowners’ or renters’ insurance often does not include flood protection.
Recent data show ongoing challenges in local education outcomes: Of 722 senior students taking the science portion of the ACT in Pender County school districts, 194 (26.9%) were considered ready for college in the 2022-23 school year according to state data. Among juniors taking science that same year, 209 out of 745 (28.1%) met college readiness benchmarks according to state data. For reading proficiency on the ACT among seniors, 294 out of 722 (40.7%) were deemed college-ready according to state data, while among juniors it was slightly lower at 292 out of 745 (39.2%) according to state data. Math readiness was also reported: Of seniors tested in math on the ACT, only about a quarter—185 out of 722 (25.6%)—were considered ready for college-level work according to state data, with juniors showing similar results at 197 out of 745 (26.4%) according to state data.
Residents are encouraged by officials to download emergency management apps for real-time updates during storms and ensure their kits contain essentials such as food, water supplies for up to a week per person or pet, first-aid materials, weather radios with extra batteries, prescription medications, personal hygiene items—and cash should electronic payment systems fail during an outage.
Batson concluded by urging everyone: “No matter how many hurricanes are predicted this year—it only takes one storm affecting our area.” More information about preparing for hurricanes is available at ReadyNC.gov.
