Press Releases

Two hikers lost in the Shining Rock Wilderness area in Haywood County were rescued Saturday evening thanks to the efforts of helicopter crews and nearly 100 ground based rescuers from over two dozen local, state, and federal agencies.

Governor Roy Cooper continues to urge North Carolinians to stay off roadways with temperatures forecasted to drop significantly overnight.

Governor Roy Cooper has declared a State of Emergency ahead of a winter storm that is expected to cover most of North Carolina with four to seven inches of snow during the next 36 hours. 

All three FEMA/North Carolina Emergency Management disaster recovery centers will be closed Saturday due to this weekend’s predicted winter storm.

The centers will reopen at 9 a.m. Monday, or as soon as conditions allow.

Disaster recovery centers are located at:

As the winter weather approaches, the State Highway Patrol along with the N.C.

Due to the predicted winter storm, FEMA’s Community Education and Outreach program at the following home improvement stores is canceled for Saturday, which also was the last day of the event. The event will not be rescheduled. The locations include:

The State Emergency Response Team has activated the Joint Information Center in response to the winter storm, which is expected to start impacting North Carolina today.

Hurricane Matthew survivors in North Carolina, don’t miss out on additional grants and loans that can help you recover – submit an application to the U.S. Small Business Administration today.

Governor Roy Cooper today named Erik Hooks to lead the state’s public safety department to direct statewide law enforcement, emergency management, juvenile justice, and corrections divisions.  

In the three months since North Carolina was inundated by flooding caused by Hurricane Matthew, the state has made the move from response to recovery.