Buncombe County Declares State Of Emergency Ahead Of Winter Storm
Buncombe County leaders officially declared a local state of emergency, effective Jan. 23 at noon and goes through Monday at 6:00 pm. This comes after the National Weather Service issued an Ice Storm warning for Buncombe County from Saturday, Jan. 24 at noon through Monday Jan. 26 at 1:00 pm.
“This storm should be taken seriously,” said County Manager Avril Pinder. “The time to prepare is now.”
This declaration covers all of Buncombe County including the city of Asheville, the Town of Weaverville, the Town of Woodfin, the Town of Black Mountain, the Town of Montreat, and the Town of Biltmore Forest. A local state of emergency allows increased staffing to enact emergency plans and will allow further coordination with state and federal agencies.
Preparations are underway including increased staffing at emergency operations, additional snow removal equipment, road treatment and other measures to prepare for the storm.
Shelter Information
Beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, Buncombe County will open three shelters in coordination with the Red Cross. Once these shelters open, they can be accessed at any time.
Swannanoa: Hearts with Hands, 850 Warren Wilson Road
Northwest Buncombe: Erwin High gymnasium, 60 Lees Creek Road, Asheville
South Buncombe: Reuters YMCA, 3 Town Square Blvd., Asheville
At Friday’s briefing, Buncombe County Health and Human Services Director David Sweat shared key details about shelters. Each shelter will have a generator to ensure continuity of operations. Hearts with Hands will provide meals to those individuals who are sheltering. Because of respiratory illnesses circulating in the community including measles, nurses will be providing health screenings. These are not medical shelters and cannot administer medical care. Shelters will also serve as warming stations, and people accessing shelter locations are not required to stay overnight.
Residents should come prepared with the following items:
Changes of clothes
Blankets and pillows
Toiletries
Snacks
Chargers
Prescriptions
Therapy animals only (at this time, we cannot allow pets)
If you are currently in isolation due to measles exposure, we cannot allow you to enter our shelters. If you are experiencing symptoms of measles – a splotchy rash that starts on your face, high fever, cough, and red itchy eyes – call your medical provider before going into any facility. Measles is one of the most contagious viruses and can linger in the air for two hours after a single cough. Please seek accommodation at a motel with exterior-facing entry points and bring food that can be easily prepared in rooms. HHS staff who conducted the contact tracing can help assist individuals in isolation get connected to lodging.
Code Purple remains activated increasing hours and access to shelters for our unhoused neighbors. Get more information about Code Purple shelters here.
