Gov. Josh Stein talks winter storm preps
Of today's storm
Yesterday I declared a state of emergency across North Carolina
As a result we have activated a cross-agency storm response
that includes the Department of Transportation the Department of Public
Safety the North Carolina National Guard and our partners in
snow and debris removal and infrastructure restoration
Momentarily you will hear from Director Ray about the winter
storm and our emergency response operations and from Secretary Hopkins
about NCDOT's work to keep our roads as safe as
possible
As Director A will outline the winter storm will likely
hit much of our state
At this time our greatest concern is road safety
Precipitation and freezing temperatures tomorrow afternoon tonight uh and tonight
we'll make a mess of the roads on Saturday morning
The thawing and refreezing of precipitation leads to ice so
that everyone needs to be careful on our roads
Please avoid traveling unless it is absolutely necessary
This morning in addition to Director Ray and Secretary Hopkins
I'm also joined by the Secretary of the Department of
Public Safety Eddie Buffalo
The adjutant general of the North Carolina National Guard Major
General Todd Hunt and commander of the North Carolina State
Highway Patrol Colonel Freddie Johnson
Our American Sign Language interpreters are David Payne and Karen
Mcgoon and behind the scenes are Spanish language interpreters are
Yay Metteville and Tamara Cabrera
At this time I will ask Director Ray for his
update
Director Ray
Thank you Governor and good morning
Snowfall will begin in western North Carolina over the next
few hours and will continue to move eastward through this
afternoon and evening
There's a chance for a wintry mix of snow sleet
and freezing rain across the Piedmont and into the coastal
plain
We continue to monitor the system's track and timing as
it will be key in determining how far inland mixed
precipitation and rain will extend
Forecasts that impacts from north to south may vary depending
on this track of the storm
A winter storm warning is in effect for the mountains
in Piedmont and portions of the coastal plain and a
winter weather advisory is in effect for much of eastern
North Carolina
Most of the state is forecast to receive some combination
of snow ice and freezing rain
The greatest accumulations of snow are expected in the mountains
the foothills and Piedmont counties north of I-85
Areas along and south of I-85 have the greatest chance
of seeing mixed precipitation
As the governor said hazardous travel conditions are expected today
and may continue into Saturday night
Areas of black ice will be possible and we ask
that all North Carolinians continue to watch the weather and
stay off the roads
Unnecessary travel not only puts you at risk but also
the public safety personnel that will need to respond if
there is an issue
The more vehicles we have on the road also makes
it tougher on crews with the Department of Transportation to
treat and clear roadways and get them back open again
If you must drive in winter conditions our partners with
the State Highway Patrol advise reducing speed significantly increasing distance
between other vehicles and clearing all snow and ice from
your vehicle before traveling
Given the forecast let's make their work easier by staying
off the roads unless absolutely necessary
We've been monitoring this weather system for a number of
days and have remained in close communication with our local
emergency managers across the state as we evaluate resource and
support needs
The state emergency response team has been activated and is
working with key partners such as the Department of Transportation
the North Carolina National Guard the State Highway Patrol and
utilities as well as others
A state of emergency was issued yesterday in preparation for
this event and as of this morning we have 2
local states of emergency with 9 county emergency operation centers
activated in western North Carolina to support operations at the
local level
While there are currently no shelters open across North Carolina
we know that shelters are anticipated to open in Bunkum
and Yancey Counties this evening and we remain in close
coordination with our human services partners to support additional capability
as needed
Warming shelters are also being opened across the state and
we anticipate more as we move throughout the day and
into the evening
Based on the forecasted impacts the North Carolina National Guard
has alerted more than 100 soldiers to assist emergency management
in their efforts to support communities impacted by this storm
They have more than 30 vehicles and the guard started
prepositioning many of these teams yesterday to locations across both
the western and central part of the state
Their primary mission is to support local emergency services
They are actively engaged and ready to respond as needed
They have also staged aviation support in the West as
a contingency for when the weather has cleared
We have also deployed teams to support DOT in keeping
major interstate roadways clear
These teams are stationed along Old Fort in McDowell County
Saluda Grade in Polk County and Turner Grade in Surrey
County
North Carolina's utility partners are planning for restoration operations statewide
as needed
Please also keep in mind that power outages may occur
in areas due to the weight of the snow or
ice accumulation on tree limbs and power lines
If your power goes out ensure generators are operated 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 any kerosene heaters and use battery powered sources
for light instead of candles to reduce the risk of
fire
Please remember to utilize 911 only for emergencies
If you need general information regarding the storm please call
211 and leave those emergency lines open
You can also enable emergency alerts on your mobile device
to make sure you receive life-saving notifications
Finally all Tropical Storm Helene disaster recovery centers in western
North Carolina will be closed today and tomorrow due to
the forecasted impacts of the storm
The plan is for these centers to reopen on Monday
at 8:00 a.m. Survivors that are requiring assistance can still
call FEMA's 1-800 number for assistance or contact the North
Carolina Disaster Case Management Program
Visit readyNC.gov for more information on winter weather safety and
preparation or for real-time travel information visit DriveNC.gov or follow
NCDOT on social media
We would ask folks to remain alert informed and to
check on your neighbors and those in your community who
may need assistance
During a disaster or major event we are stronger together
and make for more resilient communities
Thank you Governor
Good morning
Our crews and contractors have been working hard to prepare
for this storm since the middle of the week
We have more than 1900 DOT employees and contractors involved
in pre-storm preparations and they stand ready to help once
the storm hits our state
As of this morning we have used more than 3
million gallons of brine to pre-treat hundreds of roads and
highways across the state
Also we have over 600 trucks with plows and spreaders
and more than 300 motor graders ready to help remove
snow and ice and we have over 160,000 tons of
salt ready to treat roads
I want to encourage you to be prepared to get
your emergency supplies and anything else you might need now
Once the storm hits please try please don't try to
drive
Stay off the roads unless it's absolutely essential that you
travel
We are staging equipment in areas that are known trouble
spots during winter storms
Also we're partnering with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol
and the North Carolina National Guard for additional resources in
several hot spots where breakdowns occur regularly during these type
of events
Their assistance enable enables quicker clearance of disabled vehicles to
help maintain safe traffic flow in these spots
Once the storm hits our crews are prepared to work
around the clock in shifts to plow and treat snow
and ice until all of the state maintained roads are
clear
As always our first priorities will be the interstates and
other multi-lane highways then moving to other US and NC
routes and then finally secondary roads
Based on the forecast travel could be impacted across much
of the state and with cold temperatures overnight for the
next few nights travel could be treacherous for several days
in some parts of the state
We also have crews ready with chainsaws and other equipment
to cut and remove downed trees from roads as needed
Rest assured we will respond and work hard to get
your roads clear as soon as possible
Again unless it's necessary stay off the roads during and
after the storm so our crews can safely clear roads
protect yourself and your families
Please be patient and stay safe as conditions improve you
can check DriveNC.gov to get the latest travel information before
heading out
Thank you
Yeah Thank you Director Ray and Secretary Hopkins for your
updates
Uh we know that those still recovering from Hurricane Helene
are especially going to feel the impacts of this storm
Western NCDOT crews began preparing for the storm on Wednesday
and had been responding to winter weather in the mountains
for weeks
In addition to the incredible work that those DOT crews
have been doing to help respond to Hurricane Eline and
repair our roads
For anyone displaced from their homes in the western region
of the state we know that many cities and counties
are working with local government and nonprofit partners to open
locations for folks to be safe and warm tonight and
over the weekend
Three shelters are already going to be in place this
evening in Bunkum and in Yancey Counties
Earlier this week I issued an executive order to waive
federal restrictions on drivers traveling with propane and other heating
fuels so we can get more heat in people's homes
To the people of Western North Carolina we know this
winter storm is coming at a terrible time making a
difficult period in your lives even harder
We are with you every step of the way and
we will not let up
We're committed to doing everything in our power to get
you the resources you need to rebuild
And to everyone else in North Carolina please be safe
Given the information we have at this time emergency management
officials recommend the following tips
Stay at attention with your local weather forecast and be
prepared for whatever is expected in your home area
Keep your cell phones mobile devices and spare batteries
In case you experience power outages please avoid the roads
unless you absolutely must travel
But if you do have to be on the road
store an emergency kit in your vehicle with food an
ice scraper jumper cables flashlight and first aid kit
Thank you very much and we'll now open the floor
to questions
Any questions I think Director and Secretary Hopkins did a
good job
All right
Yes
Um I'm on AC 11
I know that Attorney General uh just asked me earlier
sent out a message about price gouging
Could you talk more on what people can expect and
what they should do and what they have
Yes uh this is a very quick moving storm and
so I think opportunities for bad actors and by the
way I just want to be very clear that most
people out there selling something whether it's a gas station
or a grocery store or a hotel they do right
by their people when those folks are in need but
there's always gonna be a few who try to exploit
that situation
Um we don't anticipate there being many instances of price
gouging
If you experience some seller charging you an unfair price
taking advantage of this moment and your needs and desperation
call the Attorney General's office at 877-5 no scam and
they can act
And I'm quite sure Attorney General Jackson will do a
great job with that work
Anything else Yes I know that CBO is planning to
give us updates because as the storm moves forward are
you planning on also coming back to speak with us
Are you going to any parts of the area uh
as the storm moves in Yeah I'm definitely not going
west while the storm is happening
Uh no need to create more chaos
Um we will determine whether more briefings are necessary based
on what ends up happening this evening uh across the
state of North Carolina
Governor Patrick Thomas Spectrum News One I'm curious what's it
like to prepare and plan for such a large scale
weather event within the first month of you Yeah um
well it's part of the job and I anticipated this
part of the job
Uh I actually have participated in these briefings working on
Issues about price gouging in my prior work as attorney
general and uh what we want here what every person
on this stage what everyone who's working overtime at the
emergency operation center want is for people to be safe
And that's why these these folks are on the job
All right thank you so much
Any questions online Oh
OK So this might be my first emergency briefing
Are there questions online Thanks for asking the question
Any questions online First question goes to uh Felicia Somez
BPR Felicia go ahead
Governor thanks so much for holding the briefing
Many of us out here in the west are wondering
about FEMA transition housing systems for those who've been displaced
We know that