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Buncombe County reviews winter-storm response, flags generator and sheltering gaps
Summary
County emergency management and HHS staff briefed commissioners on winter-storm Fern response, reporting 1,700 power outages, experimental direct power feeds with Duke Energy to keep shelters online, and strained Code Purple/winter-shelter capacity that will require funding and staffing changes.
County emergency management and human-services staff told the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 3 that winter-storm Fern exposed gaps in sheltering, backup power and disaster logistics even as staff and volunteers kept residents safe.
Ryan Cole, introduced by the county manager as part of the winter-storm debrief, described shifting forecasts beginning Jan. 20–22 that increased the risk of damaging ice. Cole said the county’s emergency operations center activated, partner coordination and prepositioned contracts helped set up three shelters, and the county used WebEOC for logistical and financial tracking. He said Duke Energy worked with county staff on an unusual direct feed to a transformer to power entire buildings — an approach used at the YMCA and Erwin…
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