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Alleghany County hurricane guide

Alleghany County Emergency Management, in the county administration building in Sparta, coordinates disaster planning, response, and recovery and works with North Carolina Emergency Management. The county is in the mountains, far from the coast, and has no storm surge evacuation zones. If you are told to evacuate, the county asks you to stay with relatives or friends or at a hotel outside the danger area first, and to use a shelter only if those are not possible.

Checked on October 2, 2026

Every phone number and web address on this page was checked against official sources on that date. Details can change, especially during a storm. Always follow instructions from Alleghany County Emergency Management. In a life threatening emergency, call 911.

Emergency and information numbers

Service Number Notes
Emergency 911 Police, fire, and ambulance. Call only when someone's life or property is in danger.
Emergency management office 336-372-6220 Office line. Not for emergencies.
County information line 336-372-4179 Office line. Not for emergencies.
Sheriff's Office 336-372-4455 Staffed 24 hours. The Sheriff's Office asks you to handle business that is not an emergency during weekday business hours.
911 center non-emergency 336-372-5676 The county Communications Center, which dispatches police, fire, rescue, and ambulance. For matters that are not emergencies.
Road and traffic conditions (511) 511 Road closures and conditions. From outside North Carolina, call 877-511-4662. Overnight and during emergencies, use DriveNC.gov.

Official alerts and information

  • Alleghany County Emergency Management: The county emergency management page, with the county emergency operations plan and the regional hazard mitigation plan. Website.
  • Frequently Asked Questions, Emergency Management: What to do if you are told to evacuate or to shelter in place. Website.

Evacuation centers

Open only when announced

Evacuation centers open only when officials announce them, and not every center opens for every storm. Check the official list of open centers before you leave home. Bring your own bedding, food, water, and medicines.

Alleghany County does not publish a shelter list. If you are told to evacuate, the county asks you to go to relatives, friends, or a hotel outside the danger area first, and to a shelter only if you cannot. Most shelters will not take pets, so arrange boarding with your veterinarian or ask Cooperative Extension where to take your pet. Local radio and TV will announce shelter locations. Bring your prescription medicines, and do not return home until officials say it is safe.

Help to evacuate

  • Alleghany County Cooperative Extension (pet boarding): The county's emergency management office says to call Cooperative Extension for directions on where to board your pet if you go to a shelter. Phone: 336-372-5597. Website.

Radio, TV and weather

Keep a battery or hand crank radio. When power and cell service fail, radio is often the only way to hear official updates.

Radio stations

Station Frequency Language Notes
WEND 106.5 FM English Emergency Alert System primary station (LP1)

Emergency Alert System roles come from the North Carolina state EAS plan of October 2019, the newest one published.

NOAA Weather Radio

A weather radio turns itself on for warnings, even in the middle of the night. Set it to this frequency.

Station Frequency Transmitter
WNG588 162.500 MHz Mount Jefferson
WXL42 162.400 MHz Winston-Salem
WZ2500 162.450 MHz Sand Mtn

TV stations

Station Channel Network Language
WFMY-TV (WFMY News 2) 2 CBS English
WGHP (FOX8 WGHP) 8 Fox English
WXII-TV (WXII 12) 12 NBC English
WXLV-TV (ABC 45) 45 ABC English
WUNL-TV (PBS North Carolina) 26 PBS English

Official forecasts

  • National Weather Service Blacksburg, VA: Local forecasts, watches, and warnings. Phone: 540-553-8900. Website.
  • National Hurricane Center: Official hurricane forecasts, watches, and warnings. Website.

Power, water and debris

  • Blue Ridge Energy: Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 800-448-2383. Website.

After the storm: help for displaced residents

If your home is damaged or you cannot go back, these organizations help with shelter, food, money, and paperwork. Many programs open only after a disaster declaration, so check their pages for current status.

Where to start

  • NC 211: The 211 helpline for all 100 North Carolina counties, run by United Way of North Carolina. Free and confidential, in most languages. Dial 211 at any hour. From outside North Carolina, call 888-892-1162. Phone: 211. Website.

Housing and shelter

  • FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers: After a federal declaration, these centers help you apply for aid in person. Use the locator to find the nearest one. Phone: 1-800-621-3362. Website.

Food

  • Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina: Regional food bank for 18 counties in northwest North Carolina. Winston-Salem headquarters. Call before you go to a pantry, because hours can change. Phone: 336-784-5770. Website.

Money, work and insurance

  • DisasterAssistance.gov: Apply for FEMA aid after a federal declaration. Phone: 1-800-621-3362. Website.
  • SBA disaster loans: Low interest loans for homeowners, renters, and businesses after a declared disaster. Phone: 800-659-2955. Website.
  • Legal Aid of North Carolina: Free civil legal help for low-income residents of all 100 counties, including problems after a disaster with housing, insurance, benefits, and contractors. Also written 1-866-219-LANC. Apply by phone, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday, or apply online. Phone: 1-866-219-5262. Website.

Emotional support

  • Vaya Health: The public LME/MCO that manages mental health, substance use, and developmental disability services in 32 western and central counties. Behavioral Health Crisis Line, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Member and Recipient Service Line: 1-800-962-9003, Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. For a crisis at any hour, you can also call or text 988. Phone: 1-800-849-6127. Website.
  • 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text, any time. Phone: 988.

Relief organizations

  • American Red Cross Blue Ridge Piedmont Chapter: The Red Cross chapter for 12 counties in the foothills and northwest mountains. It runs shelters and gives emergency help after disasters and home fires. Chapter office in Shelby. For disaster help at any hour, call 1-800-733-2767. Phone: 828-322-4151. Website.

Cities and towns

Each city has its own services and some have their own alerts. The county's evacuation zones, evacuation centers, and emergency alerts cover everyone, in every city and in unincorporated areas.

Sources

Checked on October 2, 2026. If a number or address here is wrong, please tell us at Keith@KMyers.me.