Murphy – Cherokee County Emergency Services coordinator Sam Davis was in his office on Friday bracing for the worst – a crippling ice storm, widespread power outages and insurmountable road conditions.
He also fixed his gaze on a weather forecast that called for bitterly cold temperatures starting Monday.
As the storm marched across the Eastern United States, it appeared as though a protective bubble shielded Cherokee County, and the worst-case scenario for the weekend didn’t emerge
here. But arctic-like temperatures did, with temperatures falling early Monday morning.
With windchill factors in the single digits, ice from weekend rain remained frozen and people venturing out into the open had to brace themselves against the winds.
The aftermath
Cherokee County Government lifted a state of emergency at 2 p.m. Monday amid sunny skies but bitterly cold temperatures.
Cherokee County Emergency Management issued its final storm information update at 10 a.m. Sunday.
“Current situation reports from Cherokee County Emergency Services, the Cherokee County 911 Communication Center and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office indicate normal daily operations,” Cherokee County Emergency Services Public Information Officer Bobby Barton said in a release.
“The hard work and dedication of all our community partners to help protect and serve the citizens and visitors of Cherokee County is greatly appreciated.”
Cherokee County Schools on Sunday announced a two-hour delay for Monday, but just before 7 a.m. Monday, announced schools would be closed for students that day after school district officials evaluated road conditions.
The annual “point in time” count of Cherokee County’s homeless population was postponed from today to Feb. 4 because of the frigid weather.
Murphy garbage pickup was cancelled for the day Monday.
North and western Cherokee County bore the brunt of the weekend storm, followed by early Monday’s frigid temperatures.
Accumulations of snow and ice on U.S. 64 from Ranger to the state line kept motorists on edge and N.C. Department of Transportation crews busy treating the roads with brine.
Similar road conditions were reported in Unaka and Hanging Dog.
Isolated power and cable TV outages were reported in Unaka and Tomotla.
Hanging Dog General Store posted photos of its ice-covered parking lot Monday morning, while earlier announcing that “Yes, we have milk, bread and eggs” – and that Lydia’s homemade chili was being served.
Storm prep
Following a statewide declaration of a state of emergency, Cherokee County government also declared a state of emergency ahead of a potentially catastrophic winter storm predicted for the weekend.
Alan Bryant, chair of the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners, signed the county declaration Friday morning.
“The lives, health and property of Cherokee County citizens are imminently threatened by the storm and its aftermath,” the declaration said.
The towns of Murphy and Andrews issued emergency declarations of their own a short time later.
County Emergency Management has an action plan in place and has been working with county government, local utilities and the National Weather Service to assess storm damage and provide needed rescue services.
County emergency services advised county government that declaring a state of emergency is necessary and appropriate to assist in the aftermath of the remnants
of the severe weather outbreak.
The declaration was originally to remain in effect until 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29.
The declaration requested people of all faiths and beliefs to pray for the safety of the county and region and for emergency responders.
The declaration included the following executive orders:
- Cherokee County Transit is authorized to use vehicles and personnel to assist in emergency operations.
- Cherokee County Emergency Management is authorized to control ingress and egress in and to emergency areas.
- Cherokee County Emergency Management is authorized to close, within the emergency area, streets, roads, highways, bridges, public vehicle areas, or other areas ordinarily used for vehicular travel, except to the movement of emergency responders and the persons necessary for recovery from the emergency.
Several Warming Stations were opened across Cherokee County, intended for short-term use for people whose heat source was not working or another emergency situation existed. I
These locations include:
- Cherokee County Detention Center, 577 Regal St. in Murphy.
- Peachtree Fire & Rescue, 1 Peachtree Firehouse Lane in Peachtree.
- Ranger Community Center, 155 Little Ranger Road in Ranger.
- Unaka Community Center, 14945 Joe Brown Highway in Unaka.
Shelves at some local stores were stripped bare of essentials, including bread, dairy and produce. Elsewhere, people topped off propane tanks and their vehicles in case power goes out and travel becomes impossible.
Downtown Murphy and Andrews each had ghost-town vibes Saturday morning ahead of the storm.
“The high-resolution guidance overnight actually lowered ice totals, which
is the good news,” the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tenn., reported that morning. “We are running a handful of degrees warmer, though light precipitation will try to chill towns down before the warm air push gets more underway.
“Light snow/sleet/freezing rain will continue to overspread the area through mid-morning, then we’ll see how quick we can warm up,” the center commented. “Higher elevations, such as the Plateau down to Signal Mountain, southwest Virginia, far northeast Tennessee remain at the greatest risk for damaging ice accumulations.”