Storm Info and Preparedness
Dare County Emergency Management is the lead role in preparing for and directing response to major emergencies and disasters, both natural and man-made within Dare County. The Department of Emergency Management is the local community based equivalent of the NC DPS – Emergency Management at the State level and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at the Federal level. It works closely with all agencies (public & private) before, during and after emergencies/disasters to provide the coordination of comprehensive protection of lives and property.
Dare County Emergency Management has a full-time staff that receives specialized training in many varied fields. Like other public safety officials, staff members serve the community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. To receive emergency alerts via text, phone or email from Dare County Emergency Management, visit the website, and follow @DareCoEM on Twitter. The Dare County Emergency Operations Center will be operating throughout a storm and may be reached at 252-475-5655 or visit the website for updated information. Re-Entry Information.
Click here to sign up to receive emergency alerts, evacuation, and reentry information.
RE-ENTRY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS *The Town of Southern Shores DOES NOT issue reentry permits.
Dare County Emergency Management has provided some great information on staged re-entry following a storm event. For more information or questions, please contact Dare County Emergency Management at 252-475-5655 or the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau at 877-629-4386. Also, if visiting the area, contact your property management or hotel/motel to confirm it’s available and open.
**To enter Dare County following a mandatory evacuation, individuals must present a current reentry permit along with a valid corresponding ID—expired reentry permits from previous years will not be accepted. For local residents, reentry permits are not necessary as long as the resident has a valid ID that contains a local Dare County address.
Click here to apply for a Dare County Reentry Permit. The Town of Southern Shores DOES NOT issue reentry permits.
Once your application has been approved by Dare County, it will be delivered as Adobe PDF file attached to an email from reentry@darenc.com. If you complete the application and do not receive a response from reentry@darenc.com, please be sure to check your spam/junk mail folder. If unable to print your permit, have it readily available for display on your mobile device. For any questions/issues contact Dare County Emergency Management at 252.475.5655. All permits expire at the end of the calendar year.
To receive emergency alerts via text, phone or email from Dare County Emergency Management, visit the website, and follow @DareCoEM on Twitter. The Dare County Emergency Operations Center will be operating throughout a storm and may be reached at 252-475-5655 or visit the website for updated information.
SPECIAL MEDICAL NEEDS
Residents with Special Medical Needs During Evacuation or Sheltering are Urged to Update their Status with Dare County Department of Health & Human Services’ Social Services Division in Preparation For Natural Disasters. Update Your Status linked here: or call 252-475-5500.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RESOURCES
- Sign up to receive emergency alerts, evacuation, and reentry information
- Current Weather from the National Weather Service
- Traffic Cameras Available through DriveNC.gov
- ReadyNC: North Carolina Emergency Management provides a variety of emergency preparedness and recovery resources including traffic and road closure information. Click on FILTERS, toggle on cameras for Dare County.
- NCDOT12: For up to date information from NCDOT on road conditions along NC Highway 12.
- NCDOT Ferry: The latest updates on the NCDOT Ferry system schedules and operations status.
- NCDOT Newsroom: The latest press and new releases from NCDOT.
