Given the extreme weather that is forecast for this weekend In North Carolina, several cities and counties are preparing to keep communities safe during the snow storm that will affect the mountains and a mix of snow and ice mainly in the south and center of the state.
Governor Josh Stein declared on Thursday, January 9, State of emergency in North Carolina in the face of the impending winter storm.
Department of Transportation (NCDOT) crews began doing their part Thursday to prepare highways and prevent freezing with salt, sand or brine to make travel easier for drivers.
Extreme weather, white flag
On the other hand, some cities have issued the activation of the “White Flag” for the opening of emergency shelters for homeless people, which occurs when the actual or “feels like” temperature is at least 32 degrees for two or more hours.
A “White Flag” may also be triggered when the weather forecast or current conditions include a winter weather event causing freezing precipitation, prolonged sub-freezing temperatures, and/or wind concerns, which may impact homeless encampments.
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Mecklenburg expands shelter capacity
In Mecklenburg County, the Office of Emergency Management (CMEMO) will activate extreme weather protocols on Friday, January 10 through Sunday, January 12, which includes additional capacity at homeless shelters.
Additionally, the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) will provide free transportation to the shelters.
CMEMO, along with organizations like Roof Above, The Salvation Army Center of Hope, Hearts for the Invisible, and Block Love Charlotte, are working together to support the needs of homeless people during this extreme weather event.
SHELTERS
Roof Above Day Services Center , located in 945 N. College St., will operate during normal operating hours: 8:30 am to 1:00 pm and 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm throughout this event.
Block Love Charlotte's Day Services Center , located in 2738 N. Graham St., will operate daily from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm to accommodate unsheltered homeless individuals.
Hearts for the Invincible , will continue to deploy outreach teams on the streets of homeless encampments, to encourage anyone living without shelter to visit one and to provide information on how to access a shelter. People who refuse shelter will be provided with blankets, if needed.
An update on expanded shelter capacity and access during this extreme weather event is provided below. Mecklenburg County and the shelters will be closely monitoring shelter utilization.
Shelters for men:
Roof Above , provides shelter for men, and has expanded capacity at its shelter locations. To access shelter, men can visit Roof Above at: 1210 N. Tryon St. o 3410 Statesville Ave. from 4:30 pm
For women and families :
The Salvation Army, provides shelter for women and families, and has expanded capacity at its shelter location. To access the shelter, women and their families can visit the shelter at: 534 Spratt St. between 4:30 pm and 7:00 pm
Transport :CATS buses will transport people to these shelters for free from Friday through Sunday. Passengers simply need to identify a designated shelter location for the driver.
Wake declares “White Flag of Winter”
Homeless shelters in Wake County operated by St. Jone's MCC Church have declared a “Winter White Flag,” meaning they will be operating on extended hours due to the extreme weather.
Men's, women's and family shelters will be open from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. beginning Thursday, January 9 through Tuesday, January 14.
Location of shelters
Shelter for people who identify as men
5010 Second St. Raleigh, NC 27609. This shelter serves GoRaleigh bus routes 23L and 2. You can view route options on the new GoRaleigh website. Go Raleigh
Shelter for people who identify as women
At First Baptist Church, 99 N Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC 27601. Use the Edenton St. entrance.
Support shelter
This shelter is for receiving people when the other shelters are at capacity. It is located at: 3313 Wade Ave, Raleigh.
It is open from 8:00 pm on White Flag nights
This site will be open to men on Saturday, January 11th and is hosted by Healing Transition Men's Campus for that evening only.
Family Shelter
This Salvation Army shelter is located at 1863 Capital Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27604.
For information you can call: 919-834-6733
For more information on emergency shelters, you can call: 919-759-5607.
Durham prepares for severe weather
In Durham City, crews began preparing roads for the possibility of icy conditions on Friday night and Saturday morning.
The City said its facilities and services will be operating as normal on Friday, if possible.
Citizens can stay informed by visiting the web page Severe Weather Updates and Resources for the latest changes and cancellations to services and programs.
Homeless shelter service
You can contact Entry Point Durham at: 984-287-8313
Open Table Ministry is operating its “White Flag” shelter from Thursday, January 9 through Sunday, January 12, at Yates Baptist Church, located at 2819 Chapel Hill Road. The shelter will be open beginning at 8:30 p.m. each night.
For more up-to-date information, you can call: 919-675-6058.
Bus service
GoDurham Transit will be operating on its regular schedule on Friday while monitoring weather conditions. Customers can get the latest updates on service adjustments by visiting:
- GoDurhamTransit.org to get alerts
- You can call: 919-485-RIDE.
- You can visit the social network X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for updates.
Winston-Salem prepares roads for snowstorm
City of Winston-Salem crews are preparing road surfaces for the possibility of several inches of snow from Friday night, January 10, through early Saturday morning, January 11, and will be on standby around the clock during the storm to clear streets and bridges.
As of Thursday morning, January 9, the National Weather Service (NWS) headquarters in Raleigh was predicting up to 3 inches of snow, possibly mixed with sleet and freezing rain. However, the actual amount of precipitation could vary, depending on the storm's track.
As city crews work to clear streets during the storm, city residents should be mindful of the method in which streets are cleared.
Main roads will be cleared first, followed by collector streets and then neighborhoods.
Residents are advised not to attempt to drive unless absolutely necessary. Unnecessary traffic can impede both street cleaning equipment and the ability of emergency vehicles to respond quickly to calls.
Where to communicate
Residents can contact the city for storm-related issues after 7:00 p.m.
On Friday, you can contact City Link at (336) 727-8000, where an answering service provider will be available to relay information to on-call personnel.
For non-English speaking residents in need of storm-related assistance, you can contact the City's Language Access Coordinators directly:
robert thompson - (336) 817-1330
Javier Correa-Vega - (336) 817-0894
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Buncombe urges people to prepare
With the storm approaching Friday, Buncombe County officials are urging residents to be prepared for extreme temperatures and snowfall.
These conditions are likely to result in slippery roads. It is advised to have flashlights on hand, store extra water, have enough non-perishable food on hand for 72 hours, and stay off the roads.
What is recommended to do:
- Use generators only outdoors
- Watch for signs of hypothermia and frostbite, such as bluish skin, slow heart rate, and severe shivering.
- Bringing pets inside
- Get real-time road conditions available in drivenc.gov
Closures and community resources
FEMA Disaster Recovery Center: The FEMA center at the Asheville Mall will be closed tomorrow, Friday and Saturday, including Hazard Mitigation Grant Program operations.
They will reopen at 8:00 am on Monday, January 13th.
You do not need to go to a center to apply for FEMA assistance. The quickest way to apply is online at disasterassistance.org.
Community Care Stations: Stations at Bethel United Methodist, Fairview Ingles, Owen Pool, and Morgan Hill Baptist Church will be open beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. On other days, stations aim to operate daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. as weather permits.
For updates on county closures, residents can sign up for Code Red alerts by texting “BCAlert” to 99411 or visiting buncombecounty.org/codedred.
Warming centers activated in Greensboro
The City of Greensboro will be activating “White Flag” warming centers beginning Thursday, January 9 in response to anticipated cold overnight temperatures.
El Urban Ministry of Greensboro , located at 305 W. Gate City Blvd., will provide winter shelter for men and women beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday, January 00.
Furthermore, the Glenwood Church , located at 1417 Glenwood Ave. (entrance on Grove St.), will provide shelter beginning at 8 p.m. on Friday.
Glenwood Church will be staffed by the Office of Community Safety, who are trained to work with special populations and coordinate services for families upon request.
For more information, people can contact the Community Safety team by calling or texting: 336-402-2499, or by calling the Greensboro Urban Ministry at 336-271-5959.
Recommendations from the Emergency Management Offices
Emergency Management officials recommend the following to prepare your home for the storm:
In the home
- Several days' supply of foods that don't require cooking or refrigeration, such as bread, crackers, cereal, canned foods, and dried fruit; remember baby food and formula if you have small children
- Other baby items as needed, such as extra diapers
- Several days of stored water in clean containers, or purchased bottled water (5 gallons per person)
- Several days of medications that any member of the family may need
- blankets
- Flashlights and/or battery-operated lanterns
- Battery operated radio and clock
- Replacement batteries
- Non-electric can opener
- Snow shovel
- Rock salt, to help melt the ice
For the vehicle: Do not drive unless absolutely necessary.
- blankets
- NOAA Battery Powered Weather Radio for Latest Storm Updates
- Botiquín basic of first aids
- Windshield scrapers and brushes
- jumper cables
- Mobile Phone
- Bag of sand or cat litter (to pour on ice or snow for added traction)
- Tow rope
- Small or folding shovel
- Container of water and non-perishable, high-energy foods such as granola bars
- Flashlight and spare batteries
- Tire repair kit and pump
To report outages at Duke Energy
Due to the possibility of a combination of snow and ice beginning Friday on trees and power lines, power outages are possible. To report an outage, you can contact the local weather section. Power Outages from Duke Energy
You can also text OUT to 57801, or call 1-800-419-6356
Check road conditions
For real-time road condition information, you can access the website drivenc.gov
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What I like most about this approach is that it doesn't seem improvised. It's not just "let's see what happens," but rather a significant planning effort: attention to power grids, drainage systems, evacuation centers, and communication between authorities and residents. It's as if the issue of extreme weather is finally being treated with the seriousness it deserves, not just as theory or statistics, but as a present reality that can affect anyone, from coastal neighborhoods to more inland communities.
Furthermore, it's reassuring to see talk of collaboration—between local governments, community organizations, and volunteers. Often, when natural disasters strike, it's the neighborhood support networks or those who organize before the event occurs that make the difference. This combination of official preparedness and civic awareness can save far more than concrete or generators.