Back-to-school, Hurricane Erin evacuations, Zelenskyy meeting at White House: Sunrise Brief

TOP STORIES: Back-to-school, Hurricane Erin evacuations, Zelenskyy meeting at White House

1. Students in Norfolk, Portsmouth and Surry County are headed back to school on Monday.

   Back to school in Portsmouth: Students share hopes, nerves, and fresh goals

   Reminders for school bus safety:

   On a two-lane or four-lane road, both directions of traffic must stop when a bus stops. If there is a median or barrier, the opposite lane of traffic is not required to stop, but the driver should be prepared for students possibly crossing into their lane. Several districts in the area have added cameras to school buses, making it easier to catch violators.

   In Norfolk, a plan to potentially close 10 schools in Norfolk is still pending. Dr. James Pohl is currently the interim superintendent after Dr. Sharon Byrdsong was ousted in June. The school board has until Dec. 9 to choose a new superintendent — the community is invited to give their input at a meeting on Aug. 23 at 10:00 a.m. at Booker T. Washington High School.
   

2. Dare County officials declared a state of emergency Sunday evening as Hurricane Erin is forecast to bring life-threatening impacts to the Outer Banks, despite the storm staying well off the coast.

   Dare County issues mandatory evacuation for Hatteras Island

   A mandatory evacuation order was issued for Hatteras Island, which is designated as Zone A. This includes all of Hatteras Island, which encompasses the unincorporated villages of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras. Visitors in Zone A must evacuate beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Monday — residents in the area must evacuate at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday.

   Dare County leaders recommend using Highway 64 westbound to Interstate 95 for those evacuating north, to avoid congestion through Hampton Roads.

   Later Sunday evening, Hyde County officials called for a state of emergency and issued a mandatory evacuation order for visitors, effective 8 p.m. Sunday, and the same order for residents, beginning 6 a.m. Tuesday. In a statement, Hyde County officials said Hurricane Erin "is forecast to bring life-threatening impacts to the Ocracoke coastline and render Highway 12 impassable."
   

3. European and NATO leaders announced Sunday they will join President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington for talks with President Donald Trump about ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.

   Fresh off meeting with Putin in Alaska, Trump may pitch Zelenskyy on a land-swap deal

   Leaders from France, Britain and Germany saying they would be at Zelenskyy’s side at the White House on Monday, likely in an effort to avoid another Oval Office clash between Trump and the Ukrainian president. The grouped trip underscored European leaders’ determination to ensure that Europe has a voice in Trump’s attempted peace-making, after the U.S. president’s summit on Friday with Putin — to which Zelenskyy wasn’t invited.

   U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that a possible ceasefire is “not off the table” but that the best way to end the war would be through a “full peace deal.” Putin has implied that he sees Europe as a hindrance to negotiations. He has also resisted meeting Zelenskyy in person, saying that such a meeting can only take place once the groundwork for a peace deal has been laid.

This morning's weather: Tracking Hurricane Erin this week

Meteorologist Myles Henderson says partly to mostly cloudy skies today with scattered showers and storms, mainly in the afternoon. Expect highs in the mid 80s, just shy of normal for this time of year. It will feel more like the mid 90s with the humidity.

Hurricane Erin updates:

Hurricane Erin is forecast to slide just off of the NC/VA coastline Wednesday to Thursday. Even though the core of this storm is expected to stay over the water, we will still feel the outside impacts.

WTKR News 3

Expect several days of rough surf and high risk for rip currents. Coastal flooding threats will increase for Wednesday and Thursday. Ocean overwash is likely along the Outer Banks. The wind will ramp up Wednesday to Thursday, with gusts to 40+ mph likely along the coast. Some of the outer rain bands could wrap in on Thursday with a risk for isolated tornadoes.

For the latest weather updates, watch Myles live on News 3 This Morning here.

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For the latest traffic updates, watch Conor live on News 3 This Morning here.

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