JACKSONVILLE, NC. (THECOUNT) — Jacksonville, NC, officials have evacuated about 70 occupants, including children and pets, from the Triangle Motor Inn, located at, 246 Wilmington Hwy, Jacksonville, NC, after the structure became “compromised” after whipped by extreme winds compliments of hurricane Florence.
The Triangle Motor Inn sits about 14 miles inland. Read the full press release below:
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About 70 occupants have been evacuated from a hotel after hurricane force winds threatened the structural integrity of the building.
The 70, including an infant, children and their pets, have been taken to the Jacksonville Center for Public Safety while a solution is sought for where they can stay. No one was found to be injured, nor were any of them injured in the transport.
About 12:45 AM, Jacksonville 9-1-1 received a call about damage to the Triangle Motor Inn at 246 Wilmington Hwy. A basketball sized hole was found in a corner room by an Officer. Firefighters later found life-threatening damage to the structure. Cinder blocks that were part of the structure were crumbling in some places and residents were still in many of the rooms. source
Hurricane force winds were a challenge, and Police and Fire had to force their way into some rooms.
Portions of the roof were collapsed, allowing rain to flood some of the rooms.
Using a host of vehicles, Jacksonville Fire and Emergency Services transported many residents of the facility. Some drove their own vehicles with police escorts.
The occupants, now numbering about 70, have been placed in a temporary space in the Center for Public Safety while work is underway to find shelter for the residents.