Good morning, everyone.

Thank you for joining us.

We've had a tough winter season in North Carolina, and it is not over yet.

We expect more winter weather to return to our state tomorrow, impacting the majority of North Carolina.

So this morning, I have declared a state of emergency across the state to respond to this weather development.

As a result of that declaration, we are activating the cross-agency storm response that is the state emergency response team.

It includes the Department of Transportation, the Department of Public Safety, the North Carolina National Guard, the State Highway Patrol, and our state's utilities.

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

As Director Ray will outline, this winter storm will likely hit the majority of the state.

At this time, our greatest concerns are potential power outages and road safety.

Ice accumulation may lead to power outages, so we recommend that everyone keep their devices charged and have a flashlight on hand.

In addition, precipitation and freezing temperatures will make a mess of our roads.

Temperatures may warm above freezing in some parts of the state Thursday, but they are sure to freeze again Thursday night.

Thawing and refreezing will lead to black ice, so everyone needs to be especially careful on our roads.

Please avoid traveling unless it is necessary to travel.

Many communities will be opening warming stations for those who need a safe refuge from the cold temperatures.

You can find information on resources in your community by visiting your local government and emergency management agency's websites and social media accounts.

This morning, in addition to Director Ray and Secretary of Transportation Hopkins, I am also joined by Secretary of Public Safety Eddie Buffalo, the Chief of Staff of the North Carolina National Guard Colonel Ed Wallace, and Commander of the State Highway Patrol Colonel Freddie Johnson.

As we stand here now, emergency management officials, Department of Transportation crews, the Highway Patrol, and our National Guard are preparing for the winter weather, brining the roads, positioning resources, clearing abandoned cars from the shoulders of our highways, and working closely with local governments across the state to coordinate assistance quickly.

Erica Kugler and Jackie Mativier are our Spanish language interpreters, and our American Sign Language interpreters are Karen Magoon and Nicole Fox.

I'll now invite forward Emergency Management Director Will Ray to provide more updates.

Director Ray.

Thank you, Governor, and good morning, everyone.

Winter weather, once again, will impact our state tomorrow and into Thursday with a variety of winter precipitation types.

The greatest snowfall totals of two to six inches and locally up to nine inches of accumulation are forecast along our northern portions of the central and eastern parts of North Carolina.

Accumulations of two to four inches are also expected across the northern mountains and in higher elevations in western North Carolina.

Lighter snow accumulations of one to three inches are expected elsewhere across the state, with the exception being southeastern North Carolina, where freezing rain or rain is expected.

We're also monitoring the forecast of ice accumulation as areas along the U.S. 70 corridor near Goldsboro, Jacksonville, and New Bern to the northeast could see a maximum ice accumulation of three-tenths of an inch.

Additionally, portions of central and eastern North Carolina may see a tenth to two-tenths of an inch of ice accumulation.

As a reminder, ice accumulations of around a quarter inch and greater will cause tree branches to snap and can cause power outages as well as hazardous travel conditions.

If your power goes out during the storm, please ensure that 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.

Properly vent all kerosene heaters and make sure that heaters have space around them to reduce fire risk.

Use battery-powered sources for light instead of candles to again reduce fire risk.

And make sure that you have plenty of warm blankets and clothing available.

Hazardous travel conditions are expected tomorrow and over the next several days.

We ask that all North Carolinians continue to monitor the weather tomorrow and stay off the roads when possible.

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

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.

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, the Department of Health and Human Services, and our local emergency management agencies to ensure that any resources needed are quickly provided to communities throughout our state.

As a part of the activation, our state's energy providers will be integrated here at the State Emergency Operations Center.

We've been in close coordination with them over the last several days and they are positioned to quickly respond to any power outages to reduce restoration times.

As the Governor said, a state of emergency has been issued in preparation for this event and the State Emergency Operations Center, along with our regional coordination centers, remain in close communication with our local emergency managers across the state.

Based on forecasted impacts, we have activated more than 180 National Guardsmen to assist the State Emergency Response Team in supporting communities that are impacted by this storm.

National Guard assets are pre-positioned in Kinston, Elizabethtown, Edenton, Greensboro, Lewisburg, Rockingham, Surry County, Raleigh, and Charlotte to quickly respond to the needs in those areas.

Their primary mission is to support local public safety agencies and emergency services, as well as the Department of Transportation.

Remember to utilize 911 only for emergencies.

If you need general information regarding the storm, please visit www.readync.gov where you can find information on power outages, roadway conditions through drivenc.gov, and general preparedness information to make sure you and your family are safe during this winter storm.

Remember to enable emergency alerts on your mobile device and make sure it is fully charged to ensure you receive life-saving notifications from local authorities or the National Weather Service.

Outside of the winter storm, North Carolina Emergency Management has deployed four state search and rescue teams to provide swift water rescue assistance to Kentucky as a result of the ongoing flooding there.

Our hearts go out to those impacted by the ongoing flooding, and it is an honor for us to help our neighbor states in their time of need, just as they did for North Carolina during Haleem when 39 states responded in our time of need.

I want to thank and acknowledge the dedication of team members from Asheville Fire, Charlotte Fire, Winston-Salem Fire, and New Hanover County Fire that are in Kentucky assisting local first responders.

Finally, for those in western North Carolina continuing to recover from the devastation of Tropical Storm Haleem, as a reminder, if you need resources, assistance with housing, or help navigating the recovery process, please call the North Carolina Disaster Case Management Program at 1-844-746-2326 or visit ncdps.gov/haleem.

The North Carolina Disaster Case Management Program was established to guide survivors through the recovery process, to assist with making a recovery plan to fit individual needs, and to find resources to assist each survivor.

As a reminder, you do not have to apply for FEMA assistance to receive assistance through the state program.

As a note, the FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers in western North Carolina will be closed tomorrow due to the inclement weather for in-person services.

Disaster survivors can still access services tomorrow by calling 1-800-621-3362.

Finally, please check on your friends, family members, neighbors, and those in your community who may need additional support, especially as it relates to food or water.

We are stronger and more resilient together.

I'll now turn it over to Secretary Hopkins for his update.

Thank you.

Thank you, Director Wray.

Good morning.

As another winter storm approaches central North Carolina this week, please know that our crews and contractors have been working hard to prepare North Carolina roads for the pending snow and ice.

We have more than 1,300 employees and contractors that are conducting pre-storm preparations.

As of this morning, we have used 1.1 million gallons of brine to pre-treat hundreds of miles of highways across the state.

We also have nearly 500 trucks with plows and spreaders and 240 motor graders ready to remove snow and ice.

We have 130,000 tons of salt ready to treat roads once the snow hits.

We are staging equipment in areas that are known trouble spots during winter storms so crews can quickly plow and treat roads.

We're also working with our partner agencies, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and the North Carolina National Guard, to help clear roads of disabled vehicles in hot spots where breakdowns frequently occur during winter storms and on highway shoulders.

Their assistance enables quicker clearance of disabled vehicles so our snowplow operators can work to clear any snow off the road.

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

Our first priorities will be the interstates and other major highways, then other U.S. and N.C. routes, and then secondary roads.

Please know that we will respond and clear roads as quickly as possible.

Unless it is absolutely necessary, avoid traveling during and after the storm.

This allows our crews time to clear roads safely.

We ask that everyone be patient and stay off the roads.

As conditions improve, please check driveNC.gov for the latest travel information.

Thank you.

And I'm going to turn it back over to Governor Stein.

Thank you, Director Ray, Secretary Hopkins, for those updates.

During winter weather, just like any severe weather situation in our state, the number one priority of the state of North Carolina is keeping our people safe.

So we recommend that you take the following actions to navigate this winter weather event.

Make sure you have everything you need in advance of the winter storm.

Pay close attention to your local weather forecast and enable emergency alerts on your phone to receive updates from your local emergency management agency and from the National Weather Service.

Keep cell phones, mobile devices, and spare batteries charged in case you lose power.

Keep cabinet doors open for pipes located under sinks to stay warm and let your faucets drip to prevent freezing.

In snowy and icy areas, avoid traveling.

If you have to be on the road, store an emergency kit in your vehicle.

And don't forget to check on your loved ones and anyone you know who might be vulnerable, especially the elderly.

Thank you.

I'll now open the floor to questions here in the room.

And go to the mics on the sides if you have any questions, and you can direct them to any of the folks here.

We'll start on this side.

Hi, good morning.

Thank you.

Dina with CBS 17.

Are there any special preparations happening in western North Carolina, specifically for people who are still out of their homes?

Correct.

So thanks for that question.

I think the focus on the recovery efforts, particularly around housing, are continuing.

And as a reminder, we have a number of options that are available for disaster survivors, for transitional sheltering, or for housing assistance.

And so I would ask that if there are specific needs, if there are survivors that have those specific needs in the impacted communities, that they do call that disaster case management line to help navigate that.

As we've looked at over the last couple of days at the run-up to this event and potential impact, I think obviously the more significant weather impact seems to be trending towards the central and eastern part of the state.

And so much of the snow and weather that is forecasted in the west is within what we would say local capability and capacity.

And so a number of those communities are doing targeted outreach to those individuals that they know of in their jurisdictions that have additional needs.

And we stand ready to support some of those specifically as they reach out.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Governor Terry from SanfordTV.live and WWGP.

What advice, I have two questions for you.

What advice would you give for the senior citizen?

And my second question is, what advice would you give our wonderful farmers and our pet lovers?

As it relates to senior citizens or folks who aren't moving around very much, we don't want people moving around.

Make sure that you have enough supplies, non-perishable food and water in case you lose water or power to your house.

You don't want to have to be opening and closing your refrigerator.

So make sure you have the right supplies on the front end, plenty of blankets to stay warm.

Have points of contact for people who can check in on you if necessary.

And for pet owners, understand that when it's freezing temperatures out there, please keep your pets indoors.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Governor.

Hi, Governor.

Laura Leslie, WRAL.

You know, we've been hearing over the past few months that response to Hurricane Helene has really stretched our state resources in terms of emergency management as well as DOT.

Is there sufficient money in those budgets to handle this third response to this third storm this season?

Yeah, so there's no question that the state is prepared to respond to the issues of the moment, but I'll pass it on to Secretary Hopkins first and then Director Wray.

Yes.

Thank you for that question.

From a transportation standpoint, yes, our budget is strong enough to handle this storm.

We will continue responding to the Helene recovery, too.

Work will be ongoing even through this week as the storm hits.

And as the governor announced last week, we do plan to open I-40 to two lanes of traffic, one lane in each direction by March 1st.

Right now, we do not expect this storm to impact that, but we'll keep monitoring and keep recovering as we move forward.

Thanks for the question, Laura.

And I think what I would say is we continue to have a significant focus on western North Carolina and those communities and our recovery.

And through the capabilities that we have through the State Emergency Response Team, through the partners you see here, and through the ones that are coming today and into tomorrow and the rest of the week, there's significant capacity to respond here in North Carolina.

I think over the years, one of the benefits that we've had and that I don't take for granted is through both the governor's office and the General Assembly, we have a fund that is authorized to support initial response costs.

And that's obviously something from a Helene standpoint that we're working through reimbursement on with FEMA.

But from a financial standpoint, to be able to tap into those resources while we continue to focus on recovery, we can also balance some of the ongoing response needs as well.

One other question.

I'll just add my own comment to that, Laura, which is that we have funds sufficient to do the response to this storm that is about to hit.

Where we need more funds is the long-term recovery for western North Carolina.

And as you know, I submitted a budget request for immediate needs of about a billion dollars.

The House is considering legislation, which I understand they'll take up next week now, of about a half a billion dollars.

I thank them for their willingness to start spending some real money to help us get the work going, but we're going to need more work, more help along the way.

So there's no question that between the federal and state governments, we need substantial resources to help western North Carolina recover.

Obviously just to follow up, the legislature has canceled its voting sessions for this week.

I mean, is it frustrating at all that it's taking, this storm is actually causing it to take longer to get money on the ground for Helene?

My frustration is not with the legislature.

My frustration is with the weather.

Yes, I mean, I want the legislators to be safe.

We're advising people not to travel unnecessarily.

We understand they'll come back and take it up next week, and it's unfortunately a part of life here in North Carolina this winter.

Now at this point, we'll see if there are any questions on the phone.

If you're on the phone, please press one to ask a question.

The first question is from Helene Tickering with Blue Ridge Public Radio.

Please go ahead and use your question.

So we got like all... Helen, do you have a question?

I have a question.

Okay, moving to the next question is with Chris Peterson with WXII TV.

Chris, please go ahead with your question.

Good morning, Governor.

My question is about schools.

School systems in Western North Carolina and in my area, Winston, Salem, Greensboro, and High Point have already missed a considerable number of days because of previous winter weather and remote learning days have been a challenge as well with the five-day limit.

So I was curious, since now there's been a state of emergency declared, would these days that are probably going to be missed this week count against schools?

Would they be forced to make these days up, or are you going to waive them?

We will look into that question.

One element in the budget request that I have made of the General Assembly that they have not indicated a willingness to fund at this point is paying for summer instructional time.

There are school systems out West that have missed more than 15 school days already.

It's imperative that students not miss out on the opportunity to learn.

So we want to have instructional time this summer.

That obviously costs money to operate, and so that is one of the budget items that remain in discussion with the General Assembly.

I want to make sure that all young people in North Carolina have every opportunity to learn so that they can build whatever life they want for themselves.

The next question is from Simone Jasper with the NNL.

Please go ahead with your question.

I was wondering if you would be able to share more information about preparations being done for potential power outages.

What kind of crews are out there in regards to that effort?

We have heard that there are resources coming into North Carolina from other states to help preposition to respond to power outages that may occur, and I will ask Director Ray to offer more information.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you for that question.

I think as the Governor said, obviously one of our larger utilities in this state, Duke Energy, will be here as well as our municipal and co-op partners today into tomorrow as we look at the impact.

Again, to make sure that if they have resource needs to be able to quickly move crews, that we can support them as we can.

Duke has shared with us that they are moving crews in from out of state from a number of different locations into North Carolina.

Today they are moving crews from the west to the east and have a number of crews that will also follow on tomorrow from the western part of the state into primarily central and eastern North Carolina.

They're looking at capabilities both from a vegetation management standpoint as well as line crews to focus on restoration.

Based on the estimates that they're seeing, as we've talked about with the potential ice accumulation in some eastern parts of the state, they feel like they have adequate capacity right now.

But I do think, and I know we say this during all events, but this is one of the reasons that it's really important.

If you do not have to travel tomorrow and Thursday or later in this week with some of the hazardous conditions that are there, please stay off the roads.

I think folks that are on the roads do slow down, whether it's power crews, DOT work, or public safety that are trying to respond.

We really need folks to heed that request and stay off the roads where possible this week.

Any other questions?

Okay, great.

Thank you all for being here today.