Governor Stein and Emergency Management Officials Provide Updates on Severe Weather

Today Governor Josh Stein shared guidance and developments on the state's response to the severe weather impacting North Carolina.

"As this storm moves across the state, North Carolinians should stay alert and be prepared to take cover if severe weather develops nearby," said Governor Josh Stein. "Our State Emergency Response Team is activated, closely monitoring conditions, and ready to respond. Please keep your phones charged and nearby for any emergency alerts and be ready to take shelter if needed."

This afternoon, central and eastern North Carolina may see widespread thunderstorms; some will likely become severe and capable of producing damaging winds and strong tornadoes. Some tornadoes have the potential to impact multiple counties. Behind these thunderstorms, a strong line of storms currently in western North Carolina will move eastward across the state through the afternoon and evening. This line of storms will be capable of producing very strong wind gusts of 75 mph or greater and may form into tornadoes. Storms will be moving very fast today, leaving only a short window to seek shelter. It may be necessary to maintain multiple ways to receive weather alerts throughout the day. Today's thunderstorms and winds are capable of downing trees and producing power outages. After the storms, temperatures will rapidly fall.

Yesterday, North Carolina Emergency Management activated State Emergency Response Team personnel and resources in anticipation of severe weather impacts. The State Emergency Operations Center is closely monitoring forecasts, and NC Emergency Management is prepared to deploy response assets to assist communities across the state should conditions warrant. These resources include Urban Search and Rescue Teams, hazardous materials regional response teams, statewide firefighting resources, elements of the NC Forest Service, medical response assets through the Office of EMS, and more.

"We have seen multiple tornado warnings so far today and we will continue to see the chance of severe weather throughout the day," said NC Emergency Management Director Will Ray. "All North Carolinians need to remain weather aware today and have a plan to take action to protect your family when these storms impact your community."

For information on how you can prepare, visit ReadyNC.Gov.