RALEIGH – North Carolina has activated portions of its emergency response team and pre-positioned rescue assets as Isaias threatens flooding, gusty winds and severe weather across the state.
North Carolina Emergency Management Director Will Ray said Friday that swift-water rescue teams, state urban search-and-rescue elements and other response assets were being positioned around the state. The preparations are intended to speed assistance to communities if the storm causes damage.
State officials emphasized preparation while acknowledging that the forecast could change. Emergency managers said they were coordinating with local partners to support requests from affected communities. Pre-positioning crews and equipment reduces response time if flooding, wind damage or other hazards emerge in different parts of North Carolina.
The announcement came before Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, Friday night as a Category 2 hurricane. Reuters reported Saturday that the system had weakened to a post-tropical cyclone, but the National Hurricane Center still expected gusty winds well inland and a tornado threat across parts of Georgia and the Carolinas.
State officials said Isaias was not expected to make a direct North Carolina landfall. They warned, however, that localized flooding and gusty winds were possible during the weekend. WRAL reported that heavy rain, flash flooding and severe weather were likely in parts of the state, including the Wilmington area and western North Carolina.
WRAL also reported that urban search-and-rescue teams had received state mission orders for key locations. The report independently corroborated the state’s account that emergency crews were preparing before the storm’s effects reached North Carolina.
Gov. Josh Stein urged residents to sign up for local alerts, assemble emergency supplies and avoid flooded roads. The Department of Transportation said it was monitoring conditions and would work to keep roads safe and accessible when crews could operate safely.
The preparations represent a statewide government response rather than a direct-landfall forecast. Officials said residents should continue following National Weather Service, National Hurricane Center and local emergency-management updates as conditions change.
Sources
- North Carolina Governor’s Office readiness announcement, Oct. 9, 2026
- WRAL report on North Carolina storm preparations, updated Oct. 10, 2026
- Reuters report on Isaias after Florida landfall, Oct. 10, 2026
Photo Credit: NOAA/National Weather Service satellite image of Hurricane Isaias over the Bahamas on July 31, 2020; U.S. government work, public domain (file image). Source.
Editor’s Note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.