City, County Agencies Preparing for Severe Weather

Published on January 08, 2024

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Jan. 8, 2024) - The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management Office (CMEMO), Mecklenburg County, and the City of Charlotte are working together to monitor severe weather and any potential impacts to Mecklenburg County on Tuesday, Jan. 9. The agencies are in constant communication with partners to address any community needs, and will continue to monitor the weather and respond as the storm progresses.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services has checked high priority areas in creeks, road crossings, culverts, sewer line crossings, and bridges. With more than 100,000 storm drains in Charlotte, residents are asked to safely clear debris from storm drains in their neighborhoods.

All residents are encouraged to prepare now for any potential impacts.

During storms, the city’s landscape management team’s first priority is to clear roads of debris to provide, at minimum, single-lane access for first responders along major thoroughfares and at priority sites such as hospitals, police stations, fire stations and MEDIC stations. Once these areas are cleared, Landscape Management will focus on clearing single-lane access on secondary roads and all-lane access for non-emergency vehicles. This includes driveways, sidewalks, bike lanes, etc. Learn more about storm management and view a map of downed tree and limb requests.

How to Prepare for Severe Weather 

• Stay tuned to weather updates – follow the National Weather Service, local media outlets, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management social media feeds for updated weather information.
• Sign up for CharMeck Alerts – register to receive location-specific emergency alerts.
• Residents can check local rainfall amounts and creek levels. 
• Build an emergency kit – get the items you might need for 72 hours. 
• Non-perishable food:
  • Water (one gallon per person per day).
  • Flashlights with extra batteries.
  • Medications.
  • First-aid kit.
  • Back-up battery.
  • Pet supplies.
  • Other items specific to your family’s needs.

Know Who to Call

• For emergencies, please call 9-1-1. You can be routed to police, fire, or medic.
• To report a downed tree that is fully or partially blocking a road, call 9-1-1.
• For non-emergency situations, please call 3-1-1. Examples include:
  • Reporting storm drain blockages or creek blockages.
  • Reporting water and wastewater emergencies.
  • Reporting downed trees in yards that do not pose a safety risk.
  • For power outages, call your energy provider.

As always, you can monitor Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management on Twitter and Instagram for updates.