INCLEMENT WEATHER TODAY’S ICE STORM BROUGHT DOWN TREES AND
POWER LINES LEAVING THOUSANDS IN THE DARK.
AND WITH MORE ICE ON THE WAY.
AS OF 135 PM THERE WERE NEARLY 23,000 WITHOUT POWER.
MOST OF THE ICE CONCERNS IN THE WEST AND NORTHERN PIEDMONT WITH
RAINFALL EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
THERE’S A SERIOUS THREAT FOR RIVER FLOODING AND FLASH
FLOODING IN THE EASTERN HALF OF THE STATE.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE AT THE TAR RIVER NEAR GREENVILLE AND
THE LUMBER RIVER NEAR LUMBERTON.
WE NEED TO TAKE THIS WEATHER SERIOUSLY.
YESTERDAY I DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY TO ALLOW REPAIR CREWS
FROM OUT OF THE STATE TO MORE HELPFUL QUICKLY HELP COMMUNITIES
WHO’VE LOST POWER AND I ALSO ACTIVATED 40 MEMBERS OF THE
NATIONAL GUARD TO ASSIST WITH FALLEN TREE AND DEBRIS REMOVAL.
THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IS WORKING TO CLEAR ROADS AND
DEBRIS AND THEY ALONG WITH THE STATE HIGHWAY PATROL ASK YOU TO
PLEASE STAY OFF THE ROAD IN THESE ICY AREAS.
TODAY’S ICY WEATHER AND RAIN FOLLOWS ANOTHER STORM THIS WEEK
WITH A DEADLY TORNADO TOUCHING DOWN IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY LATE
MONDAY NIGHT.
YESTERDAY I VISITED THERE.
OUR PRAYERS GO OUT TO THOSE WHO LOST LOVED ONES OR WHO WERE
INJURED IN THE STORM.
THE TORNADO CALLS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE EVEN DEMOLISHING SOME
HOMES.
AND I HEARD HARROWING STORIES FROM SURVIVORS WHO WERE GLAD TO
BE ALIVE.
THE STATE WILL MARSHALL ALL AVAILABLE RESOURCES TO HELP
PEOPLE RECOVER.
RIGHT NOW EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS ASSESSING THE DAMAGES TO
DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE MAY BE
AVAILABLE.
ALSO PEOPLE IN SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA PARTICULARLY
ALONG THE COAST SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR MORE POTENTIAL
SEVERE WEATHER LATER TODAY.
DIRECTOR SPRAYBERRY WILL ADDRESS THAT IN JUST A MINUTE.
BUT FIRST I WANT TO THANK OUR FIRST RESPONDERS EMERGENCY
MANAGERS LAW ENFORCEMENT UTILITY WORKERS AND OTHERS ACROSS THE
STATE WHO KEEP US SAFE.
THEY’VE WORKED TIRELESSLY AND FEARLESSLY TO HELP GET PEOPLE TO
SAFETY.
AND ALREADY THEY’VE BEGUN REPAIRING THE DAMAGE.
I AM GRATEFUL FOR THEIR RESILIENCE.
AS WE FACE THE AFTERMATH OF A TORNADO AND WINTER STORMS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY ON TOP OF A PANDEMIC.
MANY OF US MAY BE FEELING WORN DOWN.
OUR STATE HAS EXPERIENCED A LOT OF CHALLENGES.
BUT ONE THING I KNOW NORTH CAROLINIANS ARE RESILIENT WHEN
WE GET KNOCKED DOWN WE GET BACK UP.
AND I KNOW THAT IF WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER AND TEACH YOU
KEEP EACH OTHER SAFE.
WE’LL GET THROUGH THIS.
AND WE’LL BUILD BACK STRONGER THAN WE WERE BEFORE.
ALSO WITH ME TODAY IS OUR SECRETARY OF PUBLIC SAFETY ERIC
HOOKS AS I MENTIONED OUR DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT, MIKE SPRAYBERRY IS WITH US TODAY DR. COHEN IS NOT
WITH US TODAY, BUT WE HAVE WITH US DEPUTY SECRETARY OF HEALTH
AND HUMAN SERVICES CODY KENSLEY AND DEPUTY SECRETARY OF NORTH
CAROLINA MEDICAID, DAVE RICHARD.
OUR SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS ARE MONICA MCGEE AND CAMERON
LARSON.
AND BEHIND THE SCENES JACKIE AND JASMINE METAVIER ARE OUR SPANISH
LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS.
I’LL NOW RECOGNIZE DIRECTOR SPRAYBERRY FOR A FEW REMARKS
MIKE.
THANK YOU.
GOVERNOR.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP.
TODAY IS DAY 346 OF THE STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM
ACTIVATION FOR THE COVID-19 RESPONSE, AND WE’RE ALSO
ACTIVATED FOR THE WINTER STORM.
THE ICY WEATHER WE’RE SEEING TODAY IS HAVING MAJOR EFFECTS,
ESPECIALLY IN OUR NORTHERN AND WESTERN COUNTIES.
STATEWIDE IS THE GOVERNOR MENTIONED PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
UTILITIES ARE CURRENTLY REPORTING ABOUT 23,000 CUSTOMERS
WITHOUT POWER.
THOSE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN FALLING SINCE ABOUT 11 AM BUT MAY RISE
AGAIN AS TEMPERATURES DROP THIS EVENING.
WE WANT TO THANK OUR UTILITY PARTNERS FOR THEIR READINESS AND
PROFESSIONALISM AS THEY HAVE AGGRESSIVELY AND DECISIVELY
ADDRESSED POWER OUTAGES THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
PLEASE DO NOT CALL 911 TO REPORT POWER OUTAGES.
YOU CAN REPORT THOSE ONLINE OR VIA PHONE DIRECTLY TO YOUR
UTILITY COMPANY.
911 CENTERS ACROSS THE STATE ARE ALREADY EXPERIENCING.
HIGH CALL VOLUMES AND WE NEED TO KEEP THOSE LINES OPEN FOR TRUE
EMERGENCIES.
IF YOUR POWER IS OUT DO NOT USE A GENERATOR OR GRILL INSIDE YOUR
HOME OR GARAGE DEADLY CARBON MONOXIDE FILM FLAMES FUMES CAN
ACCUMULATE IT AND YOU CAN’T THEM OR SMELL THEM.
THE NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS AT THE GOVERNOR’S ACTIVATED AND
THAT HE MENTIONED OUR STAGED ARMORIES IN WILKESBORO,
CHARLOTTE AND ROCKINGHAM.
THEY WILL DEPLOY FROM THOSE SITES AS THEY ARE REQUESTED TO
ASSIST COUNTIES WITH CLEARING DOWNED TREES AND DEBRIS.
WE’RE ALWAYS THANKFUL FOR THEIR SERVICE?
PLEASE AVOID ANY UNNECESSARILY TRAVEL TODAY AND TONIGHT SO THAT
ICE AND DOWNED TREES CAN BE CLEARED FROM THE ROADS OUR
HARD-WORKING HIGHWAY PATROL PARTNERS HAVE ALREADY RESPONDED
TO MORE THAN 172 COLLISIONS TODAY AND MORE THAN 420 CALLS
FOR SERVICE.
IF YOU MUST TRAVEL REMEMBER TO TREAT INTERSECTIONS AS A
FOUR-WAY STOP WHEN TRAFFIC SIGNALS ARE OUT REDUCE SPEED
INCREASE FOLLOWING DISTANCE AND SCAN THE ROAD AHEAD FOR HAZARDS
MOVE OVER TO MAKE ROOM FOR THOSE WORKING ALONGSIDE THE ROBE TO
RESPOND TO COLLISIONS REMOVE TREE AND RESTORE POWER.
OUR DOT TEAMMATES HAVE MORE THAN 1100 WORKERS ON THE ROADS TODAY
IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM CLEAR.
AS OF NOON DOT REPORTS THAT ALL MAJOR ROADS FROM THE MOUNTAINS
TO THE COAST ARE OPEN CREWS HAVE REPORTED POSSIBLE ICY SPOTS ON
ROADS IN WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL, NORTH CAROLINA.
MOST HIGHWAY DIVISIONS WERE REPORTING LITTLE ICE
ACCUMULATION ON ROAD SURFACES THAT SAID ICE ON ELEVATED
SERVICES OR DOWN TREES COULD BECOME AN ISSUE AS TEMPERATURES
CONTINUE TO DROP THE DAY.
AT LEAST 28 SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE REPORTED CLOSINGS HAVE REPORTED
CLOSINGS TODAY WITH SEVERAL DELAYED STARTS AND MANY OTHERS
ON REMOTE LEARNING IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY OUR DISASTER RECOVERY
STAFF HAS CONTINUING TO WORK WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
TO CONDUCT DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS AFTER MONDAY’S TORNADO NEAR
OCEAN ISLE BEACH AGAIN.
OUR PRAYERS ARE WITH THOSE FOLKS.
WHO WERE HARMED OR INJURED BY THAT TORNADO?
THERE’S A SLIGHT THREAT FOR MORE SEVERE WEATHER IN THAT PART OF
THE STATE TONIGHT, BUT IT’S BEEN DOWNGRADED FROM THE MARGINAL
THREAT CATEGORY THAT THE WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST EARLY TODAY.
AS ALWAYS DON’T FORGET TO LOOK OUT FOR YOUR FAMILY FRIENDS AND
NEIGHBORS DURING THIS WINTER WEATHER AND TO CALL YOUR LOVED
ONES DAILY.
WITH KINDNESS AND COOPERATION WILL ALL GET THROUGH THIS
TOGETHER AS ONE TEA