This page will continue to update as more information by officials is released throughout the week.

SHELTERS OPEN

Cumberland County will open Smith Recreation Center off 1520 Slater Avenue in Fayetteville as a shelter starting at 4 p.m. Thursday and will remain open until noon on Sunday. Pets will not be allowed to be housed at the shelter. COVID-19 screening will occur for individuals entering the shelter. Isolation and quarantine areas will be available for people who test positive or experience COVID-19 symptoms.

The Salvation Army will open for White Flag nights and serve as a daytime shelter from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. 

CUMBERLAND COUNTY SCHOOLS

Cumberland County Schools will be releasing students two hours early on Thursday, Jan. 20 and transition to remote learning for Friday, Jan. 21 due to the anticipated winter storm. All athletic events and after-school activities are canceled.

Students will work independently on assignments that are uploaded to the Canvas learning management platform and have five days to complete and submit their assignments. Prime Time will be closed on Friday and all athletic events and after-school activities are canceled.

Students enrolled in classes at Fayetteville State University and Fayetteville Technical Community College should consult with their instructors for additional guidance. 

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Cumberland County Government Offices and the court system will be closed on Friday, Jan. 21. This includes the Department of Public Health COVID-19 testing sites, the Cumberland County landfill and container sites, all library locations and animal services.

“Residents need to prepare for severe weather by making sure electronic devices such as phones and tablets are charged, know where your emergency kit is located and continue to monitor the weather,” said Chairman Glenn Adams, Cumberland County Board of Commissioners. “Over the next few days, I recommend people to stay indoors and off roadways if possible.”

Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation facilities and gated parks will be closed Friday and Saturday. Activities, programs, practices, games, etc. have been canceled for these dates. FCPR plans to return to normal facility operations on Monday, Jan. 23 as weather conditions permit.

Residents can stay prepared by signing up for Cumberland Alerts, a free emergency notification system that can send alerts to your phone or email. To register, go to cumberlandcountync.gov and click on the lightning icon at the bottom right of the homepage.

CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE

City of Fayetteville leaders is telling people to prepare for frigid conditions. Emergency Management Coordinator Scott Bullard warns of possible road dangers Friday and Saturday due to wintry precipitation. 

According to the National Weather Service, snow, sleet and freezing rain are in the forecast. Fayetteville and surrounding areas are under a Winter Weather Watch through Saturday morning.  

“This time will be different, we expect more accumulation,” Bullard said. “We can expect the impacts to be felt all weekend.” 

The Public Services team has already prepared salt trucks Wednesday morning. Additionally, brine was applied to City roads Wednesday and barricades will remain at historic trouble spots. 

FORT BRAGG 

Fort Bragg will be suspending normal operations Friday, Jan. 21. Only mission essential Soldiers and weather essential civilians are to report this Friday. Non-adverse weather employees should not report for duty. Unless telework-ready, non-adverse weather employees will receive Weather and Safety Leave during the suspension of normal operations. Telework Ready Employees who are able to perform work at an approved telework site must telework the entire workday or request leave, or a combination of both.

The Manchester, Reilly, Canopy, Knox East, and Butner gates will be closed. All other gates will remain open under a normal schedule.

All Fort Bragg DoDEA schools are closed, both for in-person and remote instruction. Only two Child Development Centers, the Baez School Age Center and the Baugess Child Development Center, will be open and will be for essential staffing only from 5:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Womack Army Medical Center will remain open with reduced staffing.

The Exchange and Commissaries will be closed on Friday. Old Glory Express and Linden Oaks Express will be open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Friday.
All personnel should contact their chain of command or supervisors to determine their mission essential or adverse weather status.

TOWN OF SPRING LAKE 

All Town of Spring Lake offices, including the Water Department drive-thru service, as well as the Senior and Recreation Departments, will be closed on Friday, Jan. 21 due to the forecasted inclement weather.

If you need to make a utility payment, you may utilize the online BillPay at www.townofspringlake.com, or use one of their two secure drop boxes. One is in the drive-thru lane at Town Hall, and the other is directly across from the Town Hall in the EXIT lane of the parking lot.

To report a power outage or check the status of your area, visit https://www.duke-energy.com/Outages or if you are with South River Electric, you can report your outage by using their automated phone system (910-892-8071 or 800-338-5530) and pressing 2 to report the outage. You must provide identifying information to match your outage to your account.

TOWN OF HOPE MILLS

The Town of Hope Mills Town offices will be closed on Friday, Jan. 21 due to the potential for inclement weather and black ice on local roads. All non-essential personnel will be asked to stay home.

FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY

Governor Roy Cooper has signed a state of emergency in advance of the second winter storm to move through the state in a week. Beginning Thursday, snow, sleet, freezing rain and ice are expected to cause significant winter impacts in central and eastern regions of the state.

“This state of emergency will waive some transportation regulations to allow for quicker storm preparation and response and power restoration,” said Governor Cooper. “North Carolinians should prepare today for this storm and make sure they have any medications, food and emergency equipment they may need over the next few days.”

The Governor's Office expects this storm to bring several inches of snowfall from the Triangle northeast toward the coast, and up to a half-inch of ice accumulation to southeastern counties. Widespread power outages begin when about a quarter-inch of ice accumulates on power lines.

To prepare for this storm and possible power outages, North Carolina Emergency Management advises people to:

• Get the groceries and essentials you need before Thursday evening. Travel will become hazardous in many parts of eastern North Carolina after that.
• Keep cell phones, mobile devices and spare batteries charged in case your power goes out
• Keep fresh batteries on hand for weather radios and flashlights.
• Dress warmly. Wear multiple layers of thin clothing instead of a single layer of thick clothing.
• Properly vent kerosene heaters and ensure generators are operated outside and away from open windows or doors to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Never burn charcoal indoors or use a gas grill indoors.
• Use a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radio or a weather alert app on your phone to receive emergency weather alerts.
• Store an emergency kit in your vehicle. Include scraper, jumper cables, tow chain, sand/salt, blankets, flashlight, first-aid kit and road map.
• Gather emergency supplies for your pet including leash and feeding supplies, enough food and for several days and pet travel carrier.
• Do not leave pets outside for long periods of time during freezing weather.

Visit ReadyNC.gov for additional information on winter weather preparation, as well as information on power outages. Visit DriveNC.gov for current travel conditions from NCDOT.