- Good morning, everybody.

I want to thank you all for joining us as we share the latest updates on winter storm that is affecting western North Carolina.

As we stand here, emergency management officials and the National Guard are continuing to prepare for winter weather in the western part of the state that will come east.

North Carolinians in the southwestern mountains are already beginning to feel the effects of today's storm.

Yesterday, I declared a state of emergency across North Carolina.

As a result, we have activated a cross-agency storm response that includes the Department of Transportation, the Department of Public Safety, the North Carolina National Guard, and our partners in snow and debris removal and infrastructure restoration.

Momentarily, you will hear from Director Ray about the winter storm and our emergency response operations, and from Secretary Hopkins about NCDOT's work to keep our roads as safe as possible.

As Director Ray will outline, the winter storm will likely hit much of our state.

At this time, our greatest concern is road safety.

And in freezing temperatures tomorrow afternoon and tonight will make a mess of the roads on Saturday morning.

The thawing and refreezing of precipitation leads to ice, so that everyone needs to be careful on our roads.

Please avoid traveling unless it is absolutely necessary.

This morning, in addition to Director Ray and Secretary Hopkins, I'm also joined by the Secretary of the Department of Public Safety, Eddie Buffalo, the Adjutant General of the North Carolina National Guard, Major General Todd Hunt, and Commander of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Colonel Freddie Johnson.

Our American Sign Language interpreters are David Payne and Karen Magoon, and behind the scenes, our Spanish language interpreters are Yasmin Metevier and Tamara Cabrera.

At this time, I will ask Director Ray for his update.

Director Ray.

- Thank you, Governor, and good morning.

Snowfall will begin in western North Carolina over the next few hours and will continue to move eastward through this afternoon and evening.

There's a chance for a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain across the Piedmont and into the coastal plain.

We continue to monitor the system's track and timing, as it will be key in determining how far inland mixed precipitation and rain will extend.

Forecasted impacts from north to south may vary depending on this track of the storm.

A winter storm warning is in effect for the mountains in Piedmont and portions of the coastal plain, and a winter weather advisory is in effect for much of eastern North Carolina.

Most of the state is forecast to receive some combination of snow, ice, and freezing rain.

The greatest accumulations of snow are expected in the mountains, the foothills, and Piedmont counties north of I-85.

Areas along and south of I-85 have the greatest chance of seeing mixed precipitation.

As the Governor said, hazardous travel conditions are expected today and may continue into Saturday night.

Areas of black ice will be possible, and we ask that all North Carolinians continue to watch the weather and stay off the roads.

Unnecessary travel not only puts you at risk, but also the public safety personnel that will need to respond if there is an issue.

The more vehicles we have on the road also makes it tougher on crews with the Department of Transportation to treat and clear roadways and get them back open again.

If you must drive in winter conditions, our partners with the State Highway Patrol advise reducing speed significantly, increasing distance between other vehicles, and clearing all snow and ice from your vehicle before traveling.

Given the forecast, let's make their work easier by staying off the roads unless absolutely necessary.

We have been monitoring this weather system for a number of days and have remained in close communication with our local emergency managers across the state as we evaluate resource and support needs.

The State Emergency Response Team has been activated and is working with key partners such as the Department of Transportation, the North Carolina National Guard, the State Highway Patrol and Utilities, as well as others.

A state of emergency was issued yesterday in preparation for this event, and as of this morning we have two local states of emergency, with nine county emergency operations centers activated in western North Carolina to support operations at the local level.

While there are currently no shelters open across North Carolina, we know that shelters are anticipated to open in Buncombe and Yancey counties this evening, and we remain in close coordination with our human services partners to support additional capability as needed.

Warming shelters are also being opened across the state, and we anticipate more as we move throughout the day and into the evening.

Based on the forecasted impacts, the North Carolina National Guard has alerted more than 100 soldiers to assist emergency management in their efforts to support communities impacted by this storm.

They have more than 30 vehicles, and the Guard started pre-positioning many of these teams yesterday to locations across both the western and central part of the state.

Their primary mission is to support local emergency services.

They are actively engaged and ready to respond as needed.

They have also staged aviation support in the west as a contingency for when the weather has cleared.

We have also deployed teams to support DOT in keeping major interstate roadways clear.

These teams are stationed along Old Fort in McDowell County, Saluda Grade in Polk County, and Turner Grade in Surrey County.

North Carolina's utility partners are planning for restoration operations statewide as needed.

Please also keep in mind that power outages may occur in areas due to the weight of the snow or ice accumulation on tree limbs and power lines.

If your power goes out, ensure generators are operated outside and away from open windows or doors to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

Never burn charcoal indoors or use a gas grill indoors.

Only vent any kerosene heaters and use battery-powered sources for light instead of candles to reduce the risk of fire.

Please remember to utilize 911 only for emergencies.

If you need general information regarding the storm, please call 211 and leave those emergency lines open.

You can also enable emergency alerts on your mobile device to make sure you receive life-saving notifications.

All Tropical Storm Helene disaster recovery centers in western North Carolina will be closed today and tomorrow due to the forecasted impacts of the storm.

The plan is for these centers to reopen on Monday at 8 a.m.

Survivors that are requiring assistance can still call FEMA's 1-800 number for assistance or contact the North Carolina Disaster Case Management Program.

Visit ReadyNC.gov for more information on winter weather safety and preparation or for real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.

We would ask folks to remain alert, informed, and to check on your neighbors and those in your community who may need assistance.

During a disaster or major event, we are stronger together and make for more resilient communities.

Thank you, Governor.

- Good morning.

Our crews and contractors have been working hard to prepare for this storm since the middle of the week.

We have more than 1,900 DOT employees and contractors involved in pre-storm preparations and they stand ready to help once the storm hits our state.

As of this morning, we have used more than 3 million gallons of brine to pre-treat hundreds of roads and highways across the state.

Also, we have over 600 trucks with plows and spreaders and more than 300 motor graders ready to help remove snow and ice.

And we have over 160,000 tons of salt ready to treat roads.

I want to encourage you to be prepared too.

Get your emergency supplies and anything else you might need now.

Once the storm hits, please don't try to drive.

Stay off the roads unless it's absolutely essential that you travel.

We are staging equipment in areas that are known trouble spots during winter storms.

Also, we are partnering with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and the North Carolina National Guard for additional resources in several hot spots where breakdowns occur regularly during these types of events.

Their assistance enables quicker clearance of disabled vehicles to help maintain safe traffic flow in these spots.

Once the storm hits, our crews are prepared to work around the clock in shifts to plow out and treat snow and ice until all of the state-maintained roads are cleared.

As always, our first priorities will be the interstates and other multi-lane highways, then moving to other U.S. and NC routes, and then finally secondary roads.

Based on the forecast, travel could be impacted across much of the state.

And with cold temperatures overnight for the next few nights, travel could be treacherous for several days in some parts of the state.

We also have crews ready with chainsaws and other equipment to cut and remove downed trees from roads as needed.

Rest assured we will respond and work hard to get your roads clear as soon as possible.

Again, unless it's necessary, stay off the roads during and after the storm so our crews can safely clear roads.

Protect yourself and your families.

Please be patient and stay safe.

As conditions improve, you can check drivenc.gov to get the latest travel information before heading out.

Thank you.

- Thank you Director Ray and Secretary Hopkins for your updates.

We know that those still recovering from Hurricane Helene are especially going to feel the impacts of this storm.

Western NCDOT crews began preparing for this storm on Wednesday and have been responding to winter weather in the mountains for weeks, in addition to the incredible work that those DOT crews have been doing to help respond to Hurricane Helene and repair our roads.

For anyone displaced from their homes in the western region of the state, we know that many cities and counties are working with local government and non-profit partners to open locations for folks to be safe and warm tonight and over the weekend.

Three shelters are already going to be in place this evening in Buncombe and in Yancey counties.

Earlier this week, I issued an executive order to waive federal restrictions on drivers traveling with propane and other heating fuels so we can get more heat in people's homes.

To the people of Western North Carolina, we know this winter storm is coming at a terrible time, making a difficult period in your lives even harder.

We are with you every step of the way and we will not let up.

We are committed to doing everything in our power to get you the resources you need to rebuild.

And to everyone else in North Carolina, please be safe.

Given the information we have at this time, emergency management officials recommend the following tips.

Stay in attention with your local weather forecast and be prepared for whatever is expected in your home area.

Keep your cell phones, mobile devices, and spare batteries charged in case you experience power outages.

Please avoid the roads unless you absolutely must travel.

But if you do have to be on the road, store an emergency kit in your vehicle with food, an ice scraper, jumper cables, flashlight, and first aid kit.

Thank you very much and we'll now open the floor to questions.

Any questions?

I think Director Wray and Secretary Hopkins did a good job.

All right.

Yes.

I'm with AC11.

I know that Attorney General Jackson earlier sent out a message about price gouging.

Could you talk about what people can expect and what they should do if they encounter something like that?

Yes.

This is a very quick moving storm and so I think opportunities for bad actors, and by the way, I just want to be very clear that most people out there selling something, whether it's a gas station or a grocery store or a hotel, they do right by their people when those folks are in need.

But there's always going to be a few who try to exploit that situation.

We don't anticipate there being many instances of price gouging.

If you experience some seller charging you an unfair price, taking advantage of this moment and your needs and desperation, call the Attorney General's office at 877-5-NO-SCAM and they can act.

And I'm quite sure Attorney General Jackson will do a great job with that work.

Anything else?

Yes.

I know that NPDOT is planning to give updates as the storm is more in the pan.

Are you planning on also coming back to Superdome?

Are you going to any parts of the area as the storm comes in?

I'm definitely not going west while the storm is happening.

No need to create more chaos.

We will determine whether more briefings are necessary based on what ends up happening this evening across the state of North Carolina.

Governor, I'm Patton Thomas with Spectrum News 1.

I'm curious, what's it like to prepare and plan for the large-scale weather event within the first month of meeting in office?

Well, it's part of the job and I anticipated this part of the job.

I actually have participated in these briefings working on issues about price gouging in my prior work as Attorney General.

What we want here, what every person on this stage, what everyone who's working overtime at the Emergency Operations Center want is for people to be safe.

And that's why these folks are on the job.

All right, thank you so much.

- This might be my first emergency briefing.

[laughter] Are there questions online?

Thanks for asking the question.

Any questions online?

- First question goes to Felicia Somez with CPR.

Felicia, go ahead.

- Governor, thanks so much for holding this briefing.

Many of us out here in the West are wondering about FEMA transition housing assistance for those who've been displaced.

We know that the latest update says that that assistance will be extended for 24 hours.

Is there anything more that the state can do to help those who are still in hotels due to being displaced from the storm?

Thank you.

- Thank you for the question.

Yeah, the 24-hour extension was a result of our request, the state of North Carolina's request to FEMA to extend it.

We've subsequently added that we asked for them to add a couple more days to that through Monday.

What we don't want is for even people whose homes are now safe and ready for them to be reoccupied, which is what happens at the end of the temporary shelter period, we don't want folks on the road.

And so the best thing for everyone is for FEMA to continue to extend for a couple more days this temporary shelter assistance so that people can stay where they are and not be on the roads.

We want people to be warm and safe through this winter.

That's why we have created our state temporary travel program that we launched on Thursday a week and a half ago.

The first trailers are now on the ground in Western North Carolina.

People need to be safe and warm on their own properties.

We are committed to doing everything we can here for North Carolina to urge our FEMA and federal partners to do right by the people of Western North Carolina.

If - I do want to give the FEMA phone number, it's 800-621-3362.

If you are a person who is in temporary assistance in a hotel or motel and your house is not ready and you have not been able to secure alternative housing options, call that number.

Those lines are now being answered today to address your unique situation because you should not be forced to leave your temporary shelter if you do not have alternative accommodations.

Thank you for the question.

- There are no more questions online.

- Alright.

Thank you so much.