State of Emergency declared in North Carolina ahead of Helene. What to know

NORTH CAROLINA ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — Governor Cooper has declared a State of Emergency ahead of Hurricane Helene as North Carolina prepares for severe weather impacts that could threaten life and property across the state through Saturday morning.

Helene is forecast to cause significant impacts including flash flooding, landslides, damaging debris flows, slope failures across steep terrain, and riverine flooding across portions of western North Carolina and portions of central North Carolina.

Flooding may occur in areas that do not typically flood, officials said. All North Carolinians should be weather-aware and prepared.

Tropical storm force winds are possible across western North Carolina late Thursday into Friday.

With already saturated soils, trees could fall causing widespread power outages. There is a potential for tornadoes with this storm system. Tornadoes from tropical systems can quickly spin up with little warning.

The State Emergency Response Team is deploying:

• Equipment
• Personnel
• Resources to support impacted communities
• North Carolina Swift Water Rescue Teams
• Urban Search and Rescue Teams
• Resources from the North Carolina National Guard
• Specialized personnel for communications and incident management support

How you can prepare for Helene

• Have multiple ways to receive emergency information, including watches and warnings
• Make sure emergency alerts are enabled on your cell phone
• Ensure that you have multiple ways to receive warnings, especially with the potential for severe storms to be moving through during nighttime hours
• Have an emergency plan. Know where you would go if you need to evacuate, especially if you live in a flood-prone area
• Gather emergency supplies or refresh your emergency kit
• Never drive through flooded roadways or around barricades. Turn around. Don’t drown
• Make sure you know where to seek shelter if a Tornado Warning is issued for your area
• Avoid unnecessary travel. If you do not need to drive, stay home

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