18-02-2025
State of emergency declared ahead of winter weather by NC Governor Josh Stein
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — In his ninth executive order since taking office, Governor Josh Stein issued a state of emergency on Tuesday ahead of winter weather that he said 'will make a mess of our roads' across North Carolina.
The governor urged all in the state to take precautions and plan ahead for low temperatures, ice, snow and possible power outages.
Winter storm warning issued for these central North Carolina counties: How much will it snow?
Joining him in a press briefing from the N.C. Emergency Operations Center were Director of Emergency Management Will Ray and Secretary of Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins, who provided updates on what is being done and who is being deployed as part of the cross-agency storm response.
'The State Emergency Response Team has been activated and is working with the Department of Transportation, North Carolina National Guard, State Highway Patrol, Department of Health and Human Services, and local emergency management to provide resources quickly throughout the state,' said Ray. 'We ask that all North Carolinians continue to monitor the weather tomorrow and stay off the roads when possible.'
From the storm set to reach central N.C. on Wednesday and into Thursday morning, significant ice accumulation is possible in parts of central and eastern North Carolina. As Ray described, accumulations of a quarter inch or more may cause tree limbs to break and lead to power outages.
The North Carolina National Guard has activated more than 180 guardsmen to assist and support local communities across the state.
Additionally, more than 1,500 employees with the N.C. Department of Transportation have been pre-treating roads across the state. As of Tuesday morning, the agency had spread 1.8 million gallons of brine to pretreat hundreds of miles of interstates, highways, and secondary roads statewide.
Nearly 600 trucks and more than 130,000 tons of salt are ready to treat roads after the storm hits, according to the governor's office.
Pay close attention to your local forecast and be prepared for what's expected in your area.
Use a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radio or a weather alert app on your phone to receive emergency weather alerts.
Stock up on water and non-perishable food.
Keep cell phones, mobile devices, and spare batteries charged.
Stay home and off the roads if you can.
Store an emergency kit in your vehicle in case you must travel. Include scraper, jumper cables, tow chain, sand/salt, blankets, flashlight, first-aid kit, and road map.
Dress warmly if you go outside. Wear multiple layers of thin clothing instead of a single layer of thick clothing.
Gather emergency supplies for your pet including leash and feeding supplies, enough food for several days, and a pet travel carrier.
Do not leave pets outside for long periods of time during freezing weather.
Check in on your friends and neighbors, especially the elderly, during winter weather.
Only operate generators outside and away from open windows or doors to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Never burn charcoal indoors or use a gas grill indoors.
Properly vent kerosene heaters.
Use battery-powered sources for light, instead of candles, to reduce the risk of fire.
If you are utilizing a portable heater, make sure that it is properly ventilated, has at least 3 feet of space on all sides, and never leave children unattended near a heater.
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