New Hanover County unveils storm response command center

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - Local organizations have launched the New Hanover Disaster Coalition Command Center to identify and respond to community needs after disasters.

The center, built on lessons from Hurricanes Florence and Helene, will identify response gaps and speed up resource delivery to communities after disasters. It is believed to be the first of its kind in the state built through a nonprofit and faith-based partnership.

“This new partnership came together out of an identified need,” New Hanover County Senior Emergency Management Specialist Jason Fuller said. “People in the community don’t always have direct access to the resources or information the county may be providing. This Command Center creates another pathway to connect residents with the help they need.”

The Command Center will be located at Plaza on Princess and can remain open during widespread power outages by using a 150-kilowatt generator.

Participating partners include:

• New Hanover County Emergency Management
• The City of Wilmington Emergency Management
• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh Cape Fear Region
• United Way of the Cape Fear Area
• The Harrelson Center

“When disaster strikes, government knows what is happening from an emergency-management perspective, while nonprofits and faith communities are often closest to the people experiencing the immediate impact,” Meade Van Pelt, executive director of the Harrelson Center, said. “This Command Center creates a mechanism to connect those two realities in real time.”

The Command Center expands the New Hanover Disaster Coalition’s work to improve local disaster preparedness and resilience.