By Peter Biello
Wilmington, NC – Brunswick County leaders say the county's response to Tropical Storm Hanna was appropriate.
Brunswick County Commissioner May Moore says the county's decision to brace for a big storm was a good one.
Brunswick County Emergency Services kept staff and volunteers overnight at an Emergency Operations Center.
Tropical Storm Hanna gained and lost strength in the Atlantic, making it difficult to estimate how strong Hanna would actually be once it hit the North Carolina coast.
Moore says Brunswick County was lucky.
"I think we dodged a bullet this time. We're blessed," she says. "Next time we may not be so lucky, and we need to keep a good, strong plan in place."
Brunswick County Commissioner Marty Cooke says the response was perfect for an unpredictable storm.
He says Emergency Management Director Randy Thompson responded appropriately.
"I know that what he did was what should've been done with this type of event," says Cooke. "And he had the type of response where he could turned up the response or turned it down. He had just the right balance."
Cooke says Thompson kept in close contact with both municipal and state leaders, allowing him to track what resources were available and deploy them if needed.
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