Cooper: Don’t let this storm catch you with your guard down

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY/AP) — North Carolina’s governor says he’s afraid Hurricane Michael could slow the recovery for homeowners dealing with wind or flooding from Hurricane Florence.

Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday that Michael isn’t expected to hit his state as hard as Florence did last month, but people shouldn’t let their guard down, even if they’re suffering from cleanup fatigue. He said many houses that suffered roof damage in Florence are still covered in tarps and could be vulnerable to strong wind and rain.

Michael is expected to race across the Carolinas late Wednesday and early Thursday, dumping 2 to 5 inches or more of rainfall. Since the ground remains saturated in places, that could mean flash flooding, and trees in wet ground can topple more easily in high winds.

He said that forecasters aren’t expecting the same kind of major river flooding caused by Florence, and conditions should improve on Friday.

“Even though North Carolina won’t take a full force hit this time because of the forecast track, we need to brace of ourselves for strong winds and rain,” Gov. Cooper said. “I know people who weathered Florence this year and other storms before, don’t even want to think about another one. But we have to. So I’m asking you to watchful and alert and to get ready.”

Gov. Cooper is visiting the Cape Fear region Tuesday. We will have the latest hurricane recovery funding tonight on WWAY News.