RALEIGH – People are urged to prepare for Hurricane Helene as rains associated with Helene have already started impacting western North Carolina, even before the full force of the storm is forecast to arrive in western and central North Carolina.
As of 1 p.m. Thursday, heavy rains associated with Helene had resulted in 97 road closures in western North Carolina. Helene is not expected to make landfall in Florida until Thursday evening.
From Thursday night through Friday, Helene is expected to bring to North Carolina flash flooding, downed trees and landslides in higher elevations and isolated tornadoes. The storm’s impacts could create treacherous travel conditions and power outages in the mountains and much of the Piedmont.
“Our agency is gearing up for a large storm,” state Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins said. “But we want our citizens to take this storm seriously too by being ready, keeping a close eye on the weather and planning accordingly as Helene is expected to bring widespread impacts to North Carolina.”
NCDOT is encouraging people to postpone unnecessary travel during the storm and use DriveNC.gov to check for real-time road conditions. Never drive through flooded roads and don’t try to drive around barricades and road closure signs. It’s against the law and those signs are in place to protect people.
People can also use ReadyNC.gov for emergency preparedness tips and tools.
Statewide, N.C. Department of Transportation crews are readying equipment, reviewing inventories and staff for possible road clearing efforts, shoulder repairs and possible crossline pipe replacements. More than 2,000 employees statewide are prepared to respond from the mountains to the coast with over 1,300 chainsaws, 180 graders, 350 backhoes and front-end loaders, and 1,300 dump trucks. NCDOT has been fueling up and testing equipment and vehicles before the storm’s arrival. Agency crews also have thousands of road closure and high-water signs, and barricades ready to put in place on flooded, blocked or damaged roads and bridges.
NCDOT staff also drove the main highways looking for any weather-related problems that may need the agency’s attention. They also checked known trouble spots, such as low-lying areas and roads without drainage systems, and made sure culverts and ditches were not clogged or overgrown with weeds, to help lessen any stormwater backup that may occur during the storm.
In some areas, crews have staged equipment so it can be available once cleanup and recovery begins. Generators have been checked and readied, and traffic services offices staged message boards. NCDOT staff have also made arrangements to shift personnel to areas of greatest need and have contractors on standby ready to respond to any storm-related tasks such as cutting and removing downed trees from roads.
The agency is using its flood warning system to prepare for and respond to the storm. The system includes about 600 gauges and has storm surge prediction capabilities that enable the agency to make informed decisions to protect the traveling public.
The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles is tracking the storm and will make any adjustments to services as needed. Already Thursday, a dozen driver license offices have suspended road skills testing for today due to inclement weather in the area. Driver license offices will remain open as conditions remain safe for customers and staff. Any appointments at those offices that may have to be canceled will be rescheduled at a time convenient for the customer. Three western North Carolina license plate agencies, which are independently owned and operated, have closed due to the rain. Others may choose to adjust their operating schedules depending on the storm’s impacts.
Crews with NCDOT’s Ferry Division are preparing by testing emergency generators and emergency ramps at the terminals. Ferry passengers are urged to sign up for text or email notifications from the Ferry Information Notification System.
Right now, all NC By Train passenger trains remain in operation, but people should visit Amtrak.com for the latest schedules.
For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov
