DOT phone program provides travel information during storms

Courtney Daruk of Havelock took a day trip to Greenville on Wednesday with a friend and left her car in the Havelock City Hall parking lot with her aunt.

Then the rains came.

The 10-inch downpour flooded Courtney’s car and sent her to a Coastal Carolina Regional Airport car rental on Thursday to keep her moving while the insurance company considers how to handle the damage.

Forecasters had called for thunderstorms in the area, but torrential rain in Havelock was unexpected. It caused many like Courtney to wonder whether they could make it safely to their destination.

Before city hall lost power and a lightning strike at the Havelock Police Department incapacitated the computer system, Havelock’s public information officer was cranking out advisories.

But the effects of the storm and ensuing rain ultimately downed most communication other than some cell phone use.

Cell phones, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s 511 system, were the sources for answers during the storm. Questions about roadway and travel conditions are also available at ncdot.org/traffictravel/.

The 511 system, implemented in North Carolina in the summer of 2004, is part of a nationwide effort to connect the public to travel information. By dialing 511, a caller is guided through a menu with a series of requests to get information about roadway incidents, closures, and conditions.

Each town or general geographic section in the state has a particular code that can get a caller more quickly to the specific information needed. Codes can be accessed at ncdot.org/traffictravel/ but a caller doesn’t have to have the code to get needed information.

The system uses voice-activated and touchtone technology, and the 511 alternative toll free number is (877) 511-4662.

Sue Book can be reached at (252) 635-5666 or sbook@freedomenc.com.

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What to call

When using the 511 system to find information about roadway and travel conditions, callers should dial the following numbers for each city or community:

Alliance – 242554*

Arapahoe – 242727*

Bayboro – 242292*

Beaufort – 242328*

Brices Creek – 242742*

Bridgeton – 242743*

Cove City – 242683*

Dover – 243683*

Fairfield Harbour – 243247*

Havelock – 244283*

James City – 245263*

Mesic – 246374*

Minnesott Beach – 246466*

New Bern – 246390*

Newport – 246397*

Oriental – 246743*

Pollocksville – 247743*

River Bend – 247483

Stonewall – 247866*

Trent Woods – 248736*

Trenton – 248736*

Vanceboro – 248262*

Vandemere – 248263*