Contact: Joint Information Center Cumberland County and City of Fayetteville
910-438-4081 (media calls only)
County, Fayetteville and Wade Issue Mandatory Evacuation Order for Little River & Cape Fear River Residents
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Cumberland County, City of Fayetteville and Town of Wade have issued a mandatory evacuation order for all persons residing within one mile of the banks of the Cape Fear River and the Little River within Cumberland County in order to minimize the imminent threat of injury or loss of life.
There is the potential for life-threatening flooding and those who reside in the area face imminent danger from the flood waters that will soon arrive. The Little River area spans from the Cumberland –Harnett County Line to Highway 87 in Spring Lake, Highway 401 in Linden, Highway 217 and Luke Road.
Residents are asked to leave immediately as the threat of flooding is rapidly increasing in the Little River and Cape Fear River areas. While the storm appears on the surface to be not as intense as expected, this is not the case. The worst is yet to come, as the flood waters from other areas are accumulating north of the county and filling the river basins beyond their capacities.
This mandatory evacuation shall commence immediately and all persons within the evacuation areas shall be evacuated by 3:00 p.m. September 16, 2018.
All persons who refuse or fail to comply with this mandatory evacuation order shall do so at their own risk and are put on notice that emergency and rescue personnel and first responders may not be sent into flooded areas within the area to be evacuated after the deadline for evacuation passes.
If you have questions about state roads, go to the N.C. Department of Transportation website
https://tims.ncdot.gov/tims/RegionSummary.aspx?re=10. All lanes of Interstate 95 are closed from exit 65 to 81 and alternate routes are posted. Drivers are cautioned that high water has been reported off 210 in the Spring Lake area.
Shelters
Shelters are still available within the County and residents can go to the following shelters:
As of 11:10 a.m., 556 people are in the seven emergency shelters. Power remains out at the Mac Williams Middle School and W.T. Brown Elementary School shelters due to generator issues. County shelters have a capacity of 1,225 occupants.
Shelter Capacity Current Population at 11:11 a.m.
Kiwanis Recreation Center 100 62
Mac Williams Middle School 105 44
Pine Forest High School 225 82
Seventy-First High School 295 104
Smith Recreation Center 100 59
South View High School 310 173
W. T. Brown Elementary School 90 32
TOTAL 1,225 556