Latest news with #PolkCountyEmergencyManagement
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
PCSO reporting outage of Runnells outdoor warning siren
RUNNELLS, Iowa — The Polk County Sheriff's Office reported an outage of Runnells' outdoor warning siren. On Thursday, the sheriff's office announced the outage and said that a repair date is not yet known. Arrest made in Ames vehicle burglaries The sheriff's office and Polk County Emergency Management are encouraging Runnells and Camp Township residents to sign up for other severe weather alerts until the warning siren is back online. Other options include: Automated text message alerts. Text RUNNELLS to 77295 to opt-in. Alert Iowa, the state's official emergency alert messaging system. Click here to sign-up. NOAA Weather Radio You can also sign up for severe weather alerts on the 13WarnMe App on your smartphone. To learn more about how to download the app, click here. The sheriff's office did not say what caused the outage, but said more information will be released when made available. Metro News: PCSO reporting outage of Runnells outdoor warning siren Celebrations Thursday at Camp Dodge, Gold Star Museum Downtown ride honors nearly 400 Iowa cyclists injured, killed in last year More big checks from Des Moines' Big Grove Brewery Homeowner describes how his family escaped burning home that left 3 dead Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Statewide tornado drill scheduled for Wednesday morning
DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowans are encouraged to practice their severe-weather plans on Wednesday. Outdoor warning sirens will sound at 10:00 a.m. as part of the statewide Tornado Drill. It's a way to test the system and give people a chance to prepare better for severe weather. The sirens are designed to alert people who are outdoors when severe weather strikes, not those who are indoors. If you are outside and hear the sirens, seek shelter immediately. Download the 13WarnMe app Polk County Emergency Management says that during severe weather season, you should stay informed, have a plan, and a kit with emergency supplies. They also say you should have multiple ways of receiving weather watches and warnings, like apps, TV, and a weather radio. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
WNC wildfire hopped river in two places; See evacuation readiness map for Polk, Henderson
With three fires in Polk and Henderson counties burning on public and private land, the N.C. Forest Service and county emergency management departments have released a map indicating the size and location of the fires as they've grown in the last two days. The maps also indicate suggested readiness levels for residents. With weather expected to be dry and wind gusts over 30 mph on March 25, there is a high likelihood the fires could grow. Here's what to know. The largest fires in WNC are located in Polk and Henderson counties. The two larger fires, the Deep Woods Fire and the Black Cove Fire, are located in the Green River Gorge and nestled in a valleyed stretch of the area typically known for tubing and kayaking in the summer months. As of the latest March 24 update from the N.C. Forest Service, the Black Cove Fire spans 2,813 acres and is at 0% containment. The Deep Woods Fire is at 2,742 acres and is at 0% containment. Another fire, the Fish Hook Fire, is at 199 acres and 69% containment, the N.C. Forest Service estimates. Henderson County Emergency Management, Polk County Emergency Management and the N.C. Forest Service have released maps of the three fires, indicating that the Black Cove fire had hopped over the Green River, spreading to the west ridge of Cove Mountain. N.C. Forest Service spokesperson E. J. Dwigans confirmed the fire had hopped the river in two spots in Polk County. The fire moved toward Cove Creek on March 24, according to the N.C. Forest Service's update. Henderson County Emergency Management map includes indications of whether an area has been evacuated and how prepared residents should be to evacuate if the fire spreads to their community. Suggestions for those in green areas include considering a plan if evacuation becomes necessary. Those in yellow areas, have a "high probability" of a need to evacuate, meaning they should pack necessary items and prepare family and pets for potential departure. Those in red areas have been issued evacuation orders. An interactive map of all wildfires in WNC and in Upstate South Carolina is available on the Citizen Times website. As of the latest March 24 update, 263 personnel from North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan, Montana, Wyoming, Tennessee, Oregon, South Dakota and California are working to stop and slow the spread of the fire and protect structures. On March 23, Polk County Fire Marshal Bobby Arledge called fighting the fire amid complications from Tropical Storm Helene a "nightmare." In response to the Black Cove Fire in Polk County, evacuation orders have been issued for residents who live along Lady Slipper Trail, Big Hungry Road, Spurgeon Cove Lane, English Heifer Cove Road, Deer Trail, Scarlets Mountain Road and Green River Cove Road addresses from 1091-1528. In Henderson County, voluntary evacuation orders have been issued for Laurel Mountain View Road and Boulder View Road. In response to the Deep Woods Fire, evacuation orders have been issued for residents on Fox Paw Lane and from 5079-7265 Holberts Cove Road. In total, Polk County has issued 165 evacuation orders while Henderson County has issued 29. Polk County's shelter for wildfire evacuees is located at 75 Carmel Lane in Columbus. Henderson County's emergency shelter is located at 708 South Grove Street, Hendersonville. This story will be updated. Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@ This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: WNC wildfire evacuation readiness map for Polk, Henderson residents
NBC News
24-03-2025
- Climate
- NBC News
Fires return to Carolinas, prompting evacuations and outside help
Evacuation orders and recommendations were in place for parts of the western foothills of the Carolinas, where nearly a half-dozen wildfires were feeding on dry woodlands, officials said Sunday. The fight against a trio of fires in Polk County, North Carolina, was taken over by a federal incident management team bolstered by out-of-state help, including 25 firefighters from Oregon who arrived by plane on Saturday, officials said at a community meeting Sunday. No injuries or deaths have been reported. Gov. Josh Stein said the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved a grant to help the state respond to the blazes. Polk County government declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, when the more than 2,000-acre Black Cove Fire started in Green River Gorge. On Sunday, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said the blaze was 0% contained. New evacuations were ordered for residents of five roadways in the area, according to Polk County Emergency Management. Since Friday, residents of more than a dozen streets and roadways in the area of the Black Cove Fire were ordered to evacuate, with some of those residents allowed to return. Despite the new evacuations, receptive fuels and stubborn heat in fire-charred earth doused by water-dropping aircraft over the weekend, firefighters expressed some confidence that progress was being made on the fire. "We're holding that fire in that creek drainage," Brian Rogers, a state forest ranger who's a manager for the federal response, said as he pointed at a fire map during a community meeting Sunday. "We haven't had any movement on it." The Deep Woods Fire nearby has burned more than 2,500 acres and also stood at 0% containment, the department said in a statement. Residents of two roadways were ordered to evacuate as firefighters worked on structure protection on the southern flank of the blaze, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said. Rogers said firefighters were letting blaze burn itself out in places as it ran out of ground at logging roads connected by new fire lines on Sunday. The third in a trio of fires that compose the state's Black Cove Complex Fires is the 199-acre Fish Hook Fire, officially 50% contained but pushed back enough that evacuation orders were lifted, the department said. "We're feeling really confident of where we're at on Fish Hook," Rogers said. Another blaze was spotted by a firefighter moving between hot zones in western North Carolina over the weekend, he said, but it wasn't clear if that was a fourth fire or one of the existing wildfires. North Carolina is in its annual spring wildfire season, and the state Forest Service on Friday imposed a statewide burn ban. 'Our top priority is always to protect lives, property and forestland across the state,' state Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a statement. 'It is imperative that folks adhere to this burn ban until further notice.' In South Carolina, where there was also a burn ban, a fire is burning on top of Table Rock Mountain in Table Rock State Park, officials said. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster on Saturday declared a state of emergency due to the fire, which is in Pickens County in the northwestern part of the state. A declaration of emergency allows state resources and other aid to be used. The Table Rock Fire grew to 1,300 acres by Sunday evening, with 0% containment reported, the state Forestry Commission said, but firefighters made progress by extending fire breaks and sparking a prescribed burn to consume fuel between the wildfire and some homes. "The burnout, which remains in progress, is being deemed successful," it said in a Sunday evening statement. Another wildfire, the Persimmon Ridge Fire, grew from an estimated 50 acres Sunday afternoon to roughly 800, the fire commission said. It was expanding on state property in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, where there was also 0% containment, according to the commission. Officials on Sunday combined the two fires on paper, which sometimes precedes a takeover by a federally funded cooperative of state and local firefighters called a Complex Incident Management Team. The combined fires were being calling the Table Rock Complex Fire. A little more than 10 miles separated the individual blazes. Western North Carolina and South Carolina were damaged by Hurricane Helene in September, and that was affecting the fire growth, the commission said. "Spot fires continue to spark new ignitions outside of the original fire area," the South Carolina Forestry Commission said. "Exacerbating the situation is an abundance of downed timber from Hurricane Helene, which has increased the fuel load on the mountain." At the beginning of the month, South Carolina was struck my more than 100 wildfires as firefighters in North Carolina battled blazes at all four of the state's national forests. Over the weekend, the foothills east of the Blue Ridge Mountains were under the influence of a weak high pressure system that boosted high temperatures into the 70s, pushed out gusts as strong as 28 mph and inspired red flag warnings that alerted some communities of extreme fire danger, according to the National Weather Service office in Greer, South Carolina, which covers the western end of the Carolinas. Relative humidity was about 20% on Sunday, it said, with the region covered by a "fire danger statement" that warns of elevated wildfire risk. Rain was possible Monday as a low pressure system moves through the region, federal forecasters said, but fire weather could return during the work week. "The combination of low relative humidity and drier fuels will increase fire danger Tuesday through Saturday," the weather service said in a hazardous weather outlook on Sunday. Almost all of North and South Carolina has been classified as either 'abnormally dry' or under moderate drought by the U.S. Drought Monitor, which is a collaboration of government agencies that include the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Evacuations in effect as 3 wildfires burn in Polk County
POLK COUNTY, N.C. (WSPA) – Three separate wildfires have burned more than 1,100 acres in Polk County as of Friday morning. That fire began in the area of Green River Cove Road, according to Polk County Emergency Management. The Black Cove Fire has burned 583 acres and is 0% contained, according to the North Carolina Forest Service. The fire was started by a downed powerline around 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to emergency management. Officials said dry weather, steep terrain, and overnight winds are making efforts to control the fire challenging. The Deepwoods Fire is burning in an area near Deep Woods Drive and Piney Gate Road. That fire has burned 332 acres and is 0% contained as of Thursday night, according to the NC Forest Service. There's no word yet on what caused that fire. According to Polk County Emergency Management, one structure has burned down, one building was damaged and two outbuildings were lost. Polk County Emergency Management announced mandatory evacuations for the Deepwoods area, including Deepwoods Lane, Wesley Lane, Piney Gate Road, Piney Overlook Lane, Piney Gate Road, Gamelands Trail, Oakview Lane, Volley Way, Charity Branch Drive, Windsong Land and Moonshine Trace. Crews are also working to contain the Fish Hook Fire in Lake Adger on Thursday. The fire has burned 190 acres and is 0% contained.. Six structures have been lost in the fire. Evacuations were announced for Lake Adger Road from Jackson to Highland Lane, Parkway North Road from Lake Adger to North Park Lane, North Park Lane, North Boundary Road and North Martin Lane. Officials said residents can go to the Polk County Shelter at 75 Carmel Lane in Columbus. The Fish Hook Fire was caused by downed power lines, officials confirmed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
