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City staff brief council on storm preparations; residents urged to sign up for alerts
Summary
City staff told Brevard residents to prepare for a potentially severe winter storm Friday–Sunday, urged 72-hour preparedness, advised signing up for city and county emergency alerts, and described plowing, de-icing, tree response and shelter coordination.
City staff briefed Brevard City Council on Jan. 20 about preparations for an expected winter storm, urging residents to prepare for extended outages and to sign up for emergency notifications.
City Manager Wilson Hooper said city hall and some community services (including community centers and committee meetings) could be closed or postponed depending on weather conditions and the city may suspend normal trash service. Communications Coordinator Becky McCann walked the council and the public through the city’s online alert sign-up, explaining how residents can choose emergency alerts and separate “general notification” categories for service changes and closures. “You’re going to come right down here to this icon that says alerts and notifications…and then you will enter your relevant information,” McCann said.
Public Works Director Wesley Shook described on-the-ground operations: seven plow trucks will prioritize clearing downtown and then move outward; crews will apply brine and an ice-melt spray to priority ramps and sidewalks; residents were asked to park in driveways when possible to allow plows to clear streets. For downed trees that block roads, Shook said residents should call the city business line rather than 911 so public works can dispatch crews.
Fire Chief Chase Owen briefed council on safety and preparedness, saying the forecast remained uncertain but ranges were “anywhere from 1 to two feet of snow” or potentially hazardous ice. He urged residents to prepare at least 72 hours’ worth of supplies, avoid nonessential travel, and warned: “If you see a power line down, they are energized until Duke Energy says they're not energized. Just because it looks like it may not be energized doesn't mean we should go out and touch it.” He also asked residents to reserve 911 for true emergencies.
Staff said they have scheduled extra emergency staffing and are coordinating with Transylvania County to consider sheltering and other joint responses if needed. Council members thanked staff and asked staff to keep the public apprised through the city's alert system and social channels.
