Pat McCrory Issues State of Emergency

Governor Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the winter storm that is expected to hit late Thursday night.

“As you know with weather there are certain predictions of weather but you never know what the end result will be,” he said. “That’s why we’re going to do everything we can to prepare our roads, public safety personnel and the general public to ensure we’re prepared for the worst of the worst, but hoping for the best.”

He said at the time of the press conference two North Carolinians had already lost their lives due to ice related car accidents.

“Stay off the roads when travel becomes dangerous,” McCrory said. “Unnecessary travel during a storm only puts people at risk. It also puts our emergency personnel at risk and if you must travel please slow down and leave room between you and other vehicles.”

This year North Carolina will be continuing a recent policy of checking all abandoned vehicles in case someone has been trapped in their car.

“This is very important for us is that we do not want to leave anyone abandoned on our highways and that’s going to be a major priority for the highway patrol,” McCrory said.”

North Carolina has also developed the ReadyNC app for smartphones, which will give users updates on the road conditions, shelter openings and the weather.

Colonel William Gray of the State Highway Patrol urges people to avoid using 911 in non-emergency situations.

“Keep track of the road conditions in your area,” he said. “But I ask you to do that by going to ReadyNC.com or by calling 511. Don’t call 911 or *HP. Let’s keep those open for emergency communication.”

For anyone who is forced to abandon their vehicle on the side of the highway, the highway patrol has a link on their website to let people know where their cars have been taken.

Pat McCrory Issues State of Emergency

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