Gastonia firefighters head east for hurricane relief

Four Gastonia firefighters deployed to the eastern North Carolina coast on Wednesday, eager to help a community that might be reeling in the coming days from the impacts of Hurricane Dorian.

Capt. Brandon Workman, Engineer Lucas Rollins and firefighters Shane Stephens and Lee Huffman made the five hour drive to the Newport Fire Department in Newport, just outside Morehead City and Emerald Isle in Carteret County.

They're scheduled to stay there seven days, though that could be extended or reduced depending on Dorian's impact later in the week.

"We don't have a clue what we're going into," Workman said. "It could turn and be sunny and 75 the next few days."

Stephens and Huffman were deployed last year to Bladen County for Hurricane Florence relief. Workman was sent to New Hanover County to provide resources there.

Workman said the firefighters do it because, if the situations were reversed, others would do the same.

"It's just something that we all do," Workman said. "They would do the same thing for us. We're fortunate the city has the resources to let us go."

The local firefighters will receive orders through email. They could be sent from Newport to cover smaller fire departments, Workman said.

"We'll report to wherever they tell us to go," Workman said. "Whatever that fire department needs and what the state asks for."

The firefighters aren't the only Gaston County emergency workers heading east. Gaston EMS will send an ambulance and paramedics to the coast, according to interim Emergency Management Director Myron Shelor.

And linemen from across the Carolinas will help as best they can.

According to Duke Energy spokeswoman Meghan Miles, about 450 Duke Energy lineworkers, damage assessors and support personnel were expected to leave the Charlotte area on Wednesday and travel to Florence, South Carolina, to be in place to restore service for customers who experience power outages as a result of the storm. About 30 of those workers are from Duke Energy's Gastonia offices.

The storm is expected to make impact with the South Carolina coast late Wednesday or early Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

You can reach Adam Lawson at 704-869-1842 or on Twitter @GazetteLawson.