Evacuations are only called for when the lives and safety of those in the area being evacuated will be at risk. With Dare County's seasonal increases in population and limited access on and off the barrier islands, major traffic delays will occur during evacuations.

Once an evacuation order has been issued, to ensure your personal safety gather your belongings and leave as soon as possible. In addition to protecting yourself, doing so will save a significant amount of time in traffic while helping emergency officials as they prepare for, or respond to the incident.

Dare County has two evacuation routes:

• Highway 64 West
• Highway 158 North