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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 High School with multiple generators — noting the tactic kept critical sites operational but required running generators continuously once connected.
Cole said about 1,700 customers lost power during the event but Duke Energy and partners restored service quickly; the county’s highest combined shelter occupancy was 83 people. He identified gaps that remain: generators at more schools, a dedicated county shelter facility, a warehouse for stockpiled supplies and improved situational awareness through 40 proposed HMGP weather stations on ridges and in valleys.
Lacey Hoyle, who briefed the board on Code Purple and winter-shelter operations, said the City of Asheville leads the continuum of care and contracts with shelter providers. She summarized this season’s funding and capacity: Code Purple funding this year totals about $303,000 (with city and county each contributing $50,000), and the city also provided CDBG/DRF funds of about $250,000 for nightly winter sheltering. Named Code Purple providers include ABCCM’s Transformation Village (35 beds for women and families), the Salvation Army (16 beds for men) and Homeward Bound’s AHOPE (20 beds for couples and people with pets). Hoyle said total Code Purple bed-stays from Jan. 1–19 were roughly 500 (about 45 people per night) and nightly winter-shelter bed-stays Jan. 1–11 totaled 745 (about 68 people per night).
Board members pressed whether the Code Purple funding would run out during prolonged cold snaps. Hoyle said providers are reimbursed per bed utilization and have absorbed some costs to date; she said staffing shortages and staff access in severe weather present the biggest operational risk. Commissioners requested follow-up recommendations as the county enters budget season.
The county also described ongoing capital-improvement and grant work tied to emergency operations: an HMGP project for 40 weather stations, an HMGP heavy-equipment request to clear large ice-blocked areas, a CIP project for a county shelter facility, and generator placement projects at high schools. Cole said work on WebEOC training and implementation is expected to continue into the summer to improve partner coordination and finance tracking.
The board thanked staff and volunteers who worked through the storms and asked for continued updates and budget recommendations to close the gaps identified.
