While Cape Fear Public Utility Authority had made arrangements with a provider to get diesel fuel to continue its service, officials warned those who fled Hurricane Florence before it arrived not to try to come back home.

"The New Hanover Emergency Operations Center has identified a source of fuel for the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority. We are working to supply our equipment and generators quickly," CFPUA officials said in a statement Sunday afternoon. "There is no immediate threat to water service disruption. We believe that this is a reliable supply that should last us through the duration of the recovery process after Hurricane Florence."

The utility authority's statement added, "In an abundance of caution, we issued a statement asking CFPUA customers to fill bathtubs and/or containers in the event we did not get needed fuel."

Although that was good news, city and county officials were warning evacuees not to attempt the trip home.

"Our roads are flooded. There is no access to Wilmington," said Woody White, chairman of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, in a media briefing Sunday afternoon. "There is no access to Wilmington, and you could be putting yourself in harm's way if you did that."

White (left) said the flooding is going to get worse before it gets better, experts say, inferring that it will be at least a few days before people should try to come back. 

Local officials have requested additional law enforcement and National Guard personnel from the office of Gov. Roy Cooper.

"The need for it is obvious,” White said.

He said those resources have high-water vehicles and can do traffic control, which is non-existent now. Local law enforcement is currently working 12-hour shifts, White said.

While there have been a few incidents of looting, the problem was not widespread in the early afternoon Sunday, White said.

“It’s not going to be tolerated … they will be confronted and arrested," he said. "We're not going to tolerate our businesses being looted."

Officials said logistics were underway to receive food and water via air.

A food distribution plan was evolving because of flooding in the northern part of New Hanover County. New Hanover's curfew changed to sundown to sun up. 

Local 911 services went down Saturday, but they were immediately transferred to Raleigh with no interruption in service.

“We’ve been through difficult times and we’re going to get through it because of the resiliency of this community," White said."Weather events have a unique ability to bring people together . . . We’re going to be fine.”