Carolinas under state of emergency ahead of Idalia

Raleigh, N.C. (FOX Carolina) - Governors Henry McMaster and Roy Cooper declared a State of Emergency for each of their states on Monday.

This comes as Hurricane Idalia is expected to hit the South and North Carolina coast on Wednesday and Thursday. The hurricane is bringing with it a risk of flooding from heavy rainfall particularly for the southeast.

“Although South Carolina may avoid the worst of Hurricane Idalia’s impacts, this State of Emergency is issued out of an abundance of caution to ensure that we have the necessary resources in place to respond to flooding events and are able to respond quickly if the forecast worsens,” said Governor Henry McMaster. “Now is the time for South Carolinians to begin making proper preparations, and everyone should begin actively monitoring official sources for the most up-to-date information – especially those along our coast and in low-lying areas.”

Governor Cooper says, “It is important for North Carolinians to gather emergency kits and prepare for the storm before it’s too late.”

Officials are advising people to prepare by enabling emergency alerts on cell phones, downloading weather apps, creating an emergency plan, gathering emergency supplies, and checking to see if you are in a coastal evacuation zone. Additionally, they advise drivers not to drive through flooded roads and to turn around if there is flooding on their route.

For the latest updates on Idalia, get the free FOX Carolina First Alert Weather app.

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