NC declares state of emergency ahead of hurricane; 6-8 inches of rain expected in Burke (2024)

Caldwell and McDowell are among the NC counties that have declared a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Helene’s impending landfall Thursday night.

The storm, which became a hurricane Wednesday morning, is expected to reach western North Carolina late Thursday night, according to meteorologist Doug Outlaw with the National Weather Service.

“We’re pretty sure that it’s going to get bad if the track of this system (continues),” Outlaw said. “If it continues to go a little more west, it’ll have less of an impact. If it comes straight on into the North Carolina mountains, there’s going to be a greater impact.”

He said rainfall totals are estimated to be:

The mountains could get hammered with more rain, up to 15 inches, Outlaw said. That rain will be falling on already saturated ground after rain early this week, he said, increasing the chances of flooding.

Soft ground will make it easier for strong winds to knock down trees and power lines, he said.

Around 8 p.m. Thursday, sustained winds are expected to be coming in from the east at around 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. At midnight, wind speeds will increase to about 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.

Friday morning from 4-10 a.m., Outlaw said winds are expected to be about 25-30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph.

The wind will start to calm down Friday afternoon, and the storm should clear out of the area by Friday evening, he said.

“What we’re most concerned about is if it works out that there’s 10 to 15 inches of rain over the mountains, then that brings the possibility of landslides, sides of mountains sliding down into the valley,” Outlaw said.

Outlaw referenced the 2004 Peeks Creek landslide, which killed five people in Macon County, as Hurricane Ivan passed through western NC, according to the NC Department of Environmental Quality.

“It’s a possibility that something like that could occur Thursday night and Friday,” Outlaw said.

State of emergency

NC Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency for North Carolina on Wednesday afternoon ahead of Helene’s landfall.

“Helene threatens heavy rain, flash flooding, landslides, and damaging winds to the mountains and Piedmont areas of our state,” Cooper said in a press release Thursday. “Now is the time for North Carolinians to prepare, make sure emergency kits are up-to-date and pay attention to the weather alerts in your area.”

The release from Cooper’s office said the state is deploying equipment, personnel and resources to support impacted communities, including swift water rescue teams and urban search and rescue teams. Resources from the NC National Guard and communications and incident management support also have been activated.

McDowell County, the city of Marion and the town of Old Fort declared a state of emergency, which will go into effect at 5 p.m. Wednesday, according to a release from McDowell County.

“We urge citizens to take this storm seriously,” said Will Kehler, emergency services director in McDowell County. “If you live near a creek, river or flood prone area, we urge you to relocate with family or friends until this storm passes and conditions improve. We are taking these proactive steps now in an effort to protect lives and prevent dangerous water rescues from occurring.”

A shelter will open at Glenwood Baptist Church, 155 Glenwood Baptist Church Road, Marion, at 9 a.m. Thursday. If you need transportation to get to the shelter, call 828-652-3241 to schedule a pickup from McDowell Transit. Transportation will not be available during flash flooding.

In Caldwell County, a state of emergency was declared that went into effect at noon Wednesday, said a release from Caldwell County.

Officials from Burke and Catawba counties said they were continuing to monitor the situation and expected to make a decision about declaring a state of emergency as the storm’s track becomes more clear.

Declaring a state of emergency allows local governments access to additional resources and emergency services.

The U.S. Forest Service announced it was closing all Forest Service roads ahead of the storm, including the road to the Table Rock Picnic Area.

The Blue Ridge Parkway will be closed from Milepost 314 to 375.6 from north of Linville Falls to Ox Creek, and from Milepost 395 to 455 from the NC 191/French Broad Overlook to Soco Gap, according to a release from Parkway officials. The Linville Falls Campground and Pisgah Campground will close Thursday morning, along with the Linville Falls, Craggy Gardens and Waterrock Knob visitor centers.