Avery County hurricane guide¶
The Avery County Office of Emergency Management, in Newland, plans for emergencies, leads the county's response, and manages recovery after a disaster. This is a mountain county far from the coast, with no storm surge evacuation zones. Sign up for the county's Hyper-Reach alerts before a storm so you get emergency notifications from the county.
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 Avery County Office of 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 | 828-733-8217 | Office line. Not for emergencies. Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| County information line | 828-733-8201 | County administration. Office line. Not for emergencies. |
| Sheriff's Office | 828-733-2071 | Open 24 hours. For emergencies, call 911. |
| 911 center dispatch | 828-733-5855 | The county Communications Center, staffed 24 hours. 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¶
- Avery County Hyper-Reach alerts: Free alerts by text, email, or phone. Sign up before a storm. You choose the addresses you want alerts for. Website.
- Avery County Office of Emergency Management: The county emergency management page and office contact. 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.
Avery County does not publish a shelter list. Watch Hyper-Reach alerts and county announcements for any shelter that opens, or call the emergency management office during business hours.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| WNG538 | 162.450 MHz | Linville |
| WXL56 | 162.400 MHz | Asheville |
| WXK47 | 162.550 MHz | Bristol |
TV stations¶
| Station | Channel | Network | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| WBTV | 3 | CBS | English |
| WSOC-TV (WSOC-TV Channel 9) | 9 | ABC | English |
| WSOC-TV (Telemundo Charlotte) | 9.2 | Telemundo | Spanish |
| WCNC-TV (WCNC) | 36 | NBC | English |
| WJZY (Queen City News) | 46 | Fox | English |
| WCCB (WCCB Charlotte) | 18 | Independent | English |
| WTVI (PBS Charlotte) | 42 | PBS | English |
| WUNG-TV (PBS North Carolina) | 58 | PBS | English |
| WUNE-TV (PBS North Carolina) | 17 | PBS | English |
Official forecasts¶
- National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg, SC: Local forecasts, watches, and warnings. Phone: 864-848-3859. Website.
- National Hurricane Center: Official hurricane forecasts, watches, and warnings. Website.
Power, water and debris¶
- Duke Energy Progress: Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 800-419-6356. Website.
- 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.
- Mountain Electric Cooperative: Main office line. The cooperative does not publish a separate outage line. Phone: 828-733-0159. 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¶
- MANNA FoodBank: Regional food bank for 16 counties in Western North Carolina and the Qualla Boundary. The helpline can help you find free food and apply for SNAP. MANNA Food Helpline: call or text, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Main office: 828-299-3663. Phone: 828-290-9749. 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 help¶
- Pisgah Legal Services: Free civil legal help for people in 11 mountain counties who cannot afford a lawyer, including Helene recovery problems. Toll free. Or call 828-253-0406, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 1-800-489-6144. 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.
Related guides¶
- Should I evacuate?
- What to expect at a hurricane shelter
- Hurricane supply list
- After a hurricane: the first 24 hours
- Insurance claims and disaster aid
Sources¶
Checked on October 2, 2026. If a number or address here is wrong, please tell us at Keith@KMyers.me.
- https://www.averycountync.gov/departments/emergency_management.php
- https://www.averycountync.gov/departments/sheriff_s_office/index.php
- https://www.averycountync.gov/departments/911_office.php
- https://www.ncdot.gov/travel-maps/traffic-travel/511-information/Pages/default.aspx
- https://www.weather.gov/source/nwr/JS/CCL.js
- https://api.weather.gov/zones/county/NCC011
- https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WEND
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WBTV
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WSOC-TV
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WCNC-TV
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WJZY
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WCCB
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WTVI
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WUNG-TV
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WUNE-TV
- https://www.duke-energy.com/safety-and-preparedness/overhead-power-lines
- https://www.blueridgeenergy.com/contact
- https://mountainelectric.com/general-info/power-outage-restoration/
- https://egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator
- https://www.disasterassistance.gov/
- https://www.sba.gov/disaster/
- https://www.vayahealth.com/about/
- https://nc211.org/about/
- https://mannafoodbank.org/manna-food-helpline/
- https://www.pisgahlegal.org/free-legal-assistance/
- https://legalaidnc.org/topic/disaster/
- https://www.redcross.org/local/north-carolina/about-us/locations/blue-ridge-piedmont.html