City of Southport holds Hurricane Expo as Atlantic Hurricane Season begins

SOUTHPORT, N.C. (WWAY) — As the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season officially got underway Monday, Southport officials hosted a hurricane preparedness expo to help residents prepare for the possibility of tropical weather over the next six months.

About 50 people attended the event at the Southport Community Building.

Representatives from the National Weather Service, Southport Fire Department, Southport Police Department, and WWAY discussed hurricane preparedness, emergency response procedures, and lessons learned from previous storms that have affected southeastern North Carolina.

Speakers outlined the city’s plans for evacuations, emergency operations, and recovery efforts in the event a hurricane impacts the area this season. Officials emphasized the importance of having an emergency plan, knowing evacuation routes, maintaining emergency supply kits, and staying informed before a storm threatens the coast.

Southport residents Robert and Jill Fuller were among those who attended the event. The couple said they left with a better understanding of the planning that takes place before a storm.

“As a matter of fact, I feel a lot better after going through the program, knowing actually how much they do plan ahead,” Robert Fuller said. “The evacuation routes, all the systems in place — that’s all thought out.”

Hurricane preparedness remains a priority for Southport and other coastal communities in Brunswick County because of their proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the Cape Fear River. The region has experienced impacts from several notable tropical systems over the years, including Hurricane Hazel in 1954, and Hurricane Florence in 2018.

Emergency management officials say those storms serve as reminders that hurricanes can bring a variety of hazards, including damaging winds, storm surge, flooding, and power outages.