Cumberland County declares state of emergency ahead of forecasted winter storm
January 31, 2026 | Cumberland County, North Carolina
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a declaration of a state of emergency on Jan. 30, 2026, to take effect at 9:30 a.m., after an emergency-management briefing warned of significant snowfall and hazardous winds expected to begin early Saturday.
Emergency Management Director Gary Crumpler, citing the National Weather Service, told the board the county is under a winter storm warning and could expect "heavy snow, accumulation amount between 4 and 8 inches" locally, with wind gusts that could reach the mid-30s to 40 mph and wind chills that "could feel like below 0" in some areas. He said there is uncertainty about where the heaviest snow will fall and that an 8-inch outcome carried a roughly 41% chance in the forecast model shared with the board.
The declaration, presented as a draft marked "Final Draft" and provided to commissioners before the vote, was moved by Commissioner Tyson and seconded; the clerk recorded a unanimous vote with the declaration effective at 9:30 a.m. Chairman was directed to execute the document. County Manager Greer and Director Crumpler said the county is taking proactive steps so it can activate emergency protective measures and position itself to receive state or federal assistance if that becomes available.
Crumpler outlined concrete preparations: prestaging equipment, increasing staffing at the 911 center, and a partial activation of emergency-services staff beginning at 7 a.m. tomorrow. He said partner shelters — notably the Salvation Army and Cornerstone — will be used rather than opening a county-run shelter unless capacity is exceeded. Crumpler noted that when the county activated a shelter during a prior event it served about seven people and that the Salvation Army and Cornerstone still had capacity that time. The county will provide transportation to partner shelters if needed and is coordinating with American Red Cross and contracted transport providers.
Officials said a virtual emergency operations center (using WebEOC) will be available to partners and that animal-services accommodations and shelter trailers have been staged as redundancies. Crumpler cautioned residents to seek refuge early, prepare supplies to be self-sufficient for three to seven days and avoid travel when conditions deteriorate: "Seek refuge as soon as possible" he said, urging preparations including checking generators and gathering essential supplies.
County Manager Greer said staff will evaluate potential closures on Monday and will notify commissioners by 1 p.m. and the public and staff by 3 p.m. as needed. The emergency declaration allows county leadership to implement protective measures immediately and to terminate the declaration later upon consultation without requiring a separate board vote.
The board adjourned after the declaration was adopted.
Emergency Management Director Gary Crumpler, citing the National Weather Service, told the board the county is under a winter storm warning and could expect "heavy snow, accumulation amount between 4 and 8 inches" locally, with wind gusts that could reach the mid-30s to 40 mph and wind chills that "could feel like below 0" in some areas. He said there is uncertainty about where the heaviest snow will fall and that an 8-inch outcome carried a roughly 41% chance in the forecast model shared with the board.
The declaration, presented as a draft marked "Final Draft" and provided to commissioners before the vote, was moved by Commissioner Tyson and seconded; the clerk recorded a unanimous vote with the declaration effective at 9:30 a.m. Chairman was directed to execute the document. County Manager Greer and Director Crumpler said the county is taking proactive steps so it can activate emergency protective measures and position itself to receive state or federal assistance if that becomes available.
Crumpler outlined concrete preparations: prestaging equipment, increasing staffing at the 911 center, and a partial activation of emergency-services staff beginning at 7 a.m. tomorrow. He said partner shelters — notably the Salvation Army and Cornerstone — will be used rather than opening a county-run shelter unless capacity is exceeded. Crumpler noted that when the county activated a shelter during a prior event it served about seven people and that the Salvation Army and Cornerstone still had capacity that time. The county will provide transportation to partner shelters if needed and is coordinating with American Red Cross and contracted transport providers.
Officials said a virtual emergency operations center (using WebEOC) will be available to partners and that animal-services accommodations and shelter trailers have been staged as redundancies. Crumpler cautioned residents to seek refuge early, prepare supplies to be self-sufficient for three to seven days and avoid travel when conditions deteriorate: "Seek refuge as soon as possible" he said, urging preparations including checking generators and gathering essential supplies.
County Manager Greer said staff will evaluate potential closures on Monday and will notify commissioners by 1 p.m. and the public and staff by 3 p.m. as needed. The emergency declaration allows county leadership to implement protective measures immediately and to terminate the declaration later upon consultation without requiring a separate board vote.
The board adjourned after the declaration was adopted.
View the Full Meeting & All Its Details
This article offers just a summary. Unlock complete video, transcripts, and insights as a Founder Member.
✓
Watch full, unedited meeting videos
✓
Search every word spoken in unlimited transcripts
✓
AI summaries & real-time alerts (all government levels)
✓
Permanent access to expanding government content
30-day money-back guarantee
