A Tropical Storm Watch became effective in Dare County at 11 a.m. today, indicating that tropical storm conditions are possible locally through Tuesday, according to a bulletin issued this afternoon by Dare County Emergency Management.
In its Isaias Bulletin #3, DCEM also acknowledges the disappointment that vacationers to Hatteras Island feel over having been ordered by Dare County to evacuate yesterday, starting at noon. Hatteras Island residents and property owners were ordered to leave today, starting at 6 a.m.
“[I]t is important to understand that evacuation decisions are made in the interest of public health and safety,” DCEM says in defense of the county’s evacuation orders.
Referring again to the vulnerability of N.C. Hwy. 12 on Hatteras Island, DCEM continues: “. . . As roads become covered with sand and water, it becomes difficult, sometimes impossible, for law enforcement, fire and emergency medical service personnel to respond to calls for assistance in a timely manner. In recent years, storms with forecasts similar to Isaias have caused road closures and the loss of personal property. Safety of residents and visitors is our top priority.”
The remainder of Bulletin #3, which was issued at 4:14 p.m., repeats the content of this morning’s Bulletin #2.
Southern Shores will have its regular trash collection tomorrow. The Town has not issued any special instructions or bulletins related to the tropical storm.
As of 2 p.m. today, Tropical Storm Isaias was 75 miles east-southeast of Vero Beach, Fla., moving northwesterly at 9 mph. Its center has remained off-shore.
Because Isaias’s heaviest rains and strongest winds have been to the east of its center, according to the National Weather Service, the Florida coast has been spared severe damage.
THE BEACON, 8/2/20
The Southern Shores Beacon 