With another winter storm expected to hit North Carolina this weekend, many Orange County community members are preparing for extended frigid temperatures and adverse weather that could create travel, infrastructure and safety complications.
Experts believe the storm system, dubbed Winter Storm Gianna, will bring “heavy snow, strong winds and coastal flooding” from as far north as New England to as far south as the Carolinas — even as the region is still recovering from Winter Storm Fern that led to wintry mix and icy conditions.
Storm Preparation and Safety Guides
To help prepare for and endure inclement weather or storm-related emergencies, many local governments and organizations are making information and resources available. Some of those include:
- Orange County has a winter storm hotline that community members can call for shelter and transportation information, as well as general questions about the weather and conditions in the county (919-245-6111)
- Orange County’s Cold Weather Shelter will be active at the Seymour Center in Chapel Hill to operate in more space than its typical 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard location. The 2551 Homestead Road site also functions as a daytime warming station, so those using it will not be required to leave during the day. The Cold Weather Shelter will be active at the special location from Friday, Jan. 30 through the morning of Monday, Feb. 2.
- Orange County’s Frequently Asked Questions page for emergency services information and alerts, downed tree reporting, and more
- Orange County Emergency Services’ Winter Storm Preparedness Guide
- Orange County Sheriff’s Office
- Chapel Hill’s Emergency Updates webpage
- Carrboro’s Cold Weather Response plan and Roadway Hazard Reduction
- Hillsborough’s Cold Weather Resources
- Hillsborough’s water-related emergencies line (919-732-3621)
- South Orange Rescue Squad’s winter weather post as part of the “South Orange Dispatch”
- Mutual aid groups such as The Community Justice and Abolition Collective have set up collection boxes in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area and are asking for tents, sleeping bags, coats, and other supplies.
Other safety, weather preparation, and utility resources include:
- ReadyNC Winter Weather information
- Winter weather preparation information from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Live NWS Weather Radar
- Disaster NC Information Center
Shelter Details
The Orange County government will activate its cold weather shelters throughout the community when overnight temperatures are 32 degrees or colder. Residents who require transportation to the Chapel Hill shelter are asked to contact the Street Outreach team at 919-886-3351 by 6 p.m. for assistance. Free bus routes are also available.
The Inter-Faith Council for Social Service also operates two cold weather shelters every night through March. The IFC Community House is located at 1315 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Chapel Hill. The other shelter, IFC HomeStart, is located at 2505 Homestead Road in Chapel Hill and is open to women and families.
Residents are asked to call 919-929-6380 (extension 3000 for men, extension 4000 for women) to confirm availability of beds in the shelters.
Power Outages
As freezing rain accumulates on tree branches and power lines, the chance of experiencing power outages increases. With a storm of this magnitude, many energy providers may have a wide swath of service areas to cover and make repairs. As a result, Orange County residents ought to be prepared for a potential, extended outages.
If your power or gas heat goes out, here are ways to contact or track your energy provider:
- Duke Energy Outage Materials, like an Outage Map, outage reporting options and the Duke Energy App
- Piedmont Electric outage materials: call 1-800-222-3107 to report an outage, and view its outage map.
- Enbridge Gas’ energy saving tips and help line (1-877-776-2427)
Winter Weather Driving Tips
During severe winter weather, the North Carolina Department of Transportation urges people to avoid traveling during storms unless “absolutely necessary.” For those who do venture onto snowy or icy roads, the state department requests people drive at slower speeds, leave plenty of room between themselves and others, and clear all ice or snow from a vehicle before traveling. If you become stranded while driving, safely pull off the road, remain in your vehicle and call for help. More safety tips regarding winter weather driving and traffic updates from the state department can be found here.
For road closures or updates on crashes, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office shares regular updates during inclement weather on its Facebook page, and the Town of Chapel Hill shares alerts on its Emergency Updates page.
97.9 The Hill Broadcasts and Chapelboro Updates
The Chapel Hill Media Group news team will keep readers and listeners updated on Chapelboro and 97.9 The Hill (97.9 FM) as the storm approaches and passes through the Triangle.
While community members have relied on the radio station’s AM frequency during power outages and past winter storms, damage to critical equipment from major flooding in July 2025 limits our ability to broadcast without power. If a power outage affects the station and its towers, we will do our best to continue bringing you critical weather coverage on 97.9 FM and Chapelboro.com. Be sure to check our social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, X and Bluesky) for updates on broadcasts, programming and breaking news updates.
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