For what it's worth, I do believe the climate is changing, and have no problem believing there could be consequences like increasing the habitat range of deer tick.
And maybe it's already happening.
But the EPA link provided echoes what's already been said in this thread: a warming weather trend is unlikely to increase incidence in NC where it's already warmer than the states with the number of cases.
Evidence suggests that expanding ranges of ticks in certain northern states may be more related to a warming climate than expanding ranges in southern states. Because of the many factors affecting tick populations and reporting of Lyme disease, however, this indicator does not provide sufficient information to determine what proportion of the observed changes in Lyme disease incidence is directly driven by climate change.
And the basic question remains: what precautions to take? I think the precautions are pretty well laid out. Doubled incidence over 20 years sounds scary. But, frankly, 8 people per 100,000 vs 4 people per 100,000 doesn't make me want to shave off all my hair and sound the alarm bells. On the other hand, I do shave my head, but that's just because if I don't, it looks like I'm going bald (which is because I'm going bald).
Do what makes you feel safe, but I would say the precautions to take remain the same: cover your skin in tick-heavy areas, use bug repellent, and remove ticks promptly. Good luck.