NEWS RELEASE

August 13, 2004
4:00 p.m.

ONE DOWN, ONE TO GO:  CARY PREPARES FOR CHARLEY

CARY, NC – With Tropical Storm Bonnie out of the way, the Town of Cary is focused now on final preparations for a heavy hit from Charley, expected to come through Saturday with the possibility of high winds and several inches of rain in our area.

Governor Mike Easley has declared a State of Emergency for all of North Carolina, and citizens are advised to complete all preparedness tasks today, including securing any loose outdoor items such as trash cans or lawn furniture.  Expect downed trees, power outages, and street flooding as a result of Charley.

After spending the last 48 hours inspecting and servicing equipment and ensuring that storm drains and culverts on all major thoroughfares are clear, public works crews – nearly 100 strong – are standing by to respond to any onslaught brought by Hurricane Charley.  If crews are called in for hurricane response, the Town will also open up a Hurricane Hot Line.

OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

Koka Booth Amphitheatre – The O.A.R. concert with Howie Day and Graham Coulton will be held tonight as scheduled.  Concert goers may bring lawn chairs or rent them at the facility.  The Koka Booth Amphitheatre will be closed for safety reasons on Saturday so Sweet Harmony’s Saturday night concert with Emmylou Harris, Patti Griffin, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings will be rescheduled.  For more concert updates, please visit the Web site at www.amphitheatreatregencypark.com.

Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources programs for Friday night will be held as scheduled.  Decisions on Saturday events will be made by 7 a.m.  Call the specific facility or the administrative offices (919) 469-4061 for more information.

C-Tran is operating on a normal schedule at this time.  If the weather worsens and you have a reservation scheduled on Saturday, please call the C-Tran reservation line at (919) 481-2020 to verify the status of your trip. 

COMMUNICATIONS

Please do not call Town of Cary 911 during severe weather unless you are experiencing or witnessing a threat to life or property.  Report non-emergency concerns to Public Works and Utilities at (919) 469-4090.

Get Town of Cary emergency information updates via email. Subscribe now to News at Email Service under SHORTCUTS, www.townofcary.org.

For Town of Cary emergency preparedness information, see HEADLINES at www.townofcary.org.

###