Murphy – 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, chairman of the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners, signed the county declaration on Friday morning.
“The lives, health and property of Cherokee County citizens are imminently threatened by the storm and its aftermath,” the declaration said.
County Emergency Management has an emergency 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 remains in effect until 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29.
The declaration also requests people of all faiths and beliefs to pray for the safety of the county and region and for emergency responders.
The declaration includes 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.
Cherokee County Emergency Management 10 a.m. Friday update
CHEROKEE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WINTER STORM INFORMATION UPDATE FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2025 AT 10:00 AM
In preparation for possible impacts from the winter storm expected to affect Cherokee County this weekend, many different agencies across the region are making preparations to help mitigate this storm.
Specifically, Cherokee County Emergency Management has been coordinating with multiple agencies and organizations for most of the past week planning for this weather event.
Updates on information will be posted twice daily at 10:00 am and 4:00 pm on the Facebook page
Cherokee County, NC Emergency Management as long as needed.
Local media outlets including The Cherokee Scout, Local TV4, and radio stations WCVP/WCNC and WKRK will be monitoring these updates and sharing information on their platforms.
Several Warming Stations have been identified across Cherokee County to open should the need arise. The Warming Stations are intended for short-term use if your heat source is not working or another emergency situation exists. If you must utilize one of the Warming Stations, please bring food and a chair and blankets or sleeping bags, etc. as accommodations will be quite minimal.
These locations include:
- Cherokee County Detention Center Lobby, 577 Regal ST, Murphy NC
- Peachtree Fire & Rescue Dept., 1 Peachtree Firehouse LN, Murphy NC
- Ranger Community Center, 155 Little Ranger RD, Murphy NC and
- Unaka Community Center, 14945 Joe Brown HWY, Murphy NC
Other Warming Station locations are being considered and will be posted on later updates.
These Warming Stations are NOT currently open as of 10:00 am on Friday, January 23 and notification will be made if that situation changes.
Should the need arise, a Red-Cross approved Shelter has been identified and work is underway to get the site prepared for shelter operations.
More information on Warming Stations and Shelter operation will be included in later updates.
Current situation reports from Cherokee County Emergency Services, including the divisions of Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and the Fire Marshal as well as the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office indicate normal daily operation along with personnel and equipment preparations being made for severe winter weather operations.