Governor Roy Cooper continues to urge North Carolinians to stay off roadways with temperatures forecasted to drop significantly overnight.
“Driving conditions are still hazardous,” Governor Cooper said. “Please stay off the roads or you may put yourself, your family, first responders or others at risk.”
Slush and moisture will re-freeze as a result of the rapidly falling temperatures, which will create black ice and other treacherous driving conditions.
North Carolina Highway Patrol troopers have responded to nearly 1,500 calls for service and more than 700 vehicle collisions since midnight, up from the 460 calls for service and 260 wrecks reported this morning. Those mostly involve property damage and no fatalities.
The governor also encouraged North Carolinians “to stay home and stay warm” due the wind chill that is expected to be between minus-5 and minus-15 degrees late Saturday night and early Sunday morning in western portions of the state. During the same time period, the wind chill in other parts of the state is forecasted to be between 0 and 5 degrees.
As of 4:30 p.m., approximately 9,274 households were without power, which is down from 25,000 customers earlier today.
Emergency Management, the State Highway Patrol and the North Carolina National Guard are currently operating a search and rescue mission to assist local first responders in locating two lost hikers in Haywood County.
North Carolina Department of Transportation crews applied nearly 3 million gallons of salt brine on major routes in advance of the storm. More than 2,500 NCDOT employees and 1,600 NCDOT vehicles are part of the effort to plow and de-ice roads. These efforts will be halted Saturday evening and resume Sunday when temperatures rise.
In temperatures below 20 degrees, chemical treatments on roads become ineffective. NCDOT crews have laid sand and staging equipment in areas with historical issues.
The North Carolina National Guard has guardsmen supporting state partners during this winter storm. Soldiers are assisting in many areas to include helping stranded motorists, aiding local law enforcement and troopers, providing transportation for essential medical personnel and supply transport.
The North Carolina State Emergency Response Team continues to closely monitor the weather and coordinate with local emergency managers on any needed resources. State Emergency Management is working with the counties to ensure their needs are met.
Travelers are urged to call 511 or go DriveNC.gov for up-to-date roadway conditions, including lane and road closures.
If you must travel, the North Carolina Highway Patrol recommends following these safety tips:
- Reduce your speed. Driving at the regular speed limit will reduce your ability to control the car if you begin to slide.
- Leave plenty of room between you and other vehicles. Bridges and overpasses accumulate ice first. Approach them with extreme caution and do not apply your brakes while on the bridge.
- If you do begin to slide, take your foot off the gas and turn the steering wheel in the direction of the slide. Do not apply the brakes as that will cause further loss of control of the car.
Those using gas-powered generators and other fuel-burning appliances should not run them indoors or in other areas with poor ventilation because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Real-time weather and road conditions and shelter openings, as well as winter safety tips, can be found on the free ReadyNC mobile app or online at www.readync.org website.
###