With Hurricane Florence on the way, local emergency service agencies are urging residents to be cautious.
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Emergency Services has been preparing since last week, monitoring the storm from an emergency operations center. There they've been having daily briefings with the National Weather Service, North Carolina Emergency Management, and other partners.
Leigha Cordell is the logistics officer for the department. She says the best way to stay safe is to stay put.
“Once it hits us, if you don't have to get out in it, stay at home," says Cordell. "We're not expecting to be affected like they are on the coast, of course, but we are expecting heavy winds and rain, and that could potentially cause trees to fall and potential power outages.”
Cordell also suggests having at least three days of non-perishable foods available, and plenty of water on hand.
For additional preparation tips and local conditions, Cordell recommends visiting Ready Forsyth.