Shelters

Scotland County is located in a very good area of North Carolina. We are far enough inland from the coast to not be threatened by the tidal surge of hurricanes that pound our coastal counties every year. We are far enough east that we are seldom impacted by the winter storms that affect the Western and Piedmont portion of North Carolina. We are relatively flat and are not nearly as prone to flooding as our neighbors to both the east and west. But weather related disasters have no rules or reasons. Regardless of our good location in the state, Scotland County will always have the potential to be impacted by any and all types of natural disasters. For that reason, Scotland County has identified designated shelter locations that can be accessed in a disaster situation.

Shelter Staffing

The shelters, when activated, are staffed by Red Cross volunteers, Scotland County School System staff, Public Health and Department of Social Services staff. They provide shelter from an event that may be threatening the community, such as a hurricane; or shelter after an event that has destroyed homes, such as a tornado. Shelters are very basic. They usually provide a dry place to sleep and food of some type for the shelter occupants.

Shelters

Scotland County has 4 designated shelter locations. They are Scotland High School, which has a history of being opened most frequently in the past 25 years. Sycamore Lane Elementary School is a shelter, and is usually the second shelter to be opened. Carver Middle School, in the Laurel Hill area, and Spring Hill Middle School, in the Wagram area, are our other 2 shelter sites, but Scotland County has been spared from a major disaster requiring their operation and neither has ever been opened and operated as a shelter.

You can find maps with Scotland County shelter sites identified in this section. You can also find pictures of each shelter to help you identify the facility. In a full scale coastal evacuation, directional signs identifying the location for our primary shelter can be found on the major coastal evacuation highways, Highway 74 and Highway 501. Following these signs will lead you to Scotland High School, always our first shelter to open when a disaster threatens. 

Suggested Supplies

In the event of the need for you and your family to evacuate to a shelter, it is recommended that you bring bedding for your entire family, that you bring any medication that you or your family members routinely take, that if you have small children that require dippers or baby food, bring those items with you too. If you have pets, shelters do not routinely allow pets. Try to make other arrangements for the safety of your pets if at all possible. Shelters are short term accommodations with very limited comforts. If you must evacuate from your home, you may want to consider staying with friends or family rather than staying at a shelter.