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Cabarrus County hurricane guide

Cabarrus County Emergency Management, based in Concord, plans for disasters, runs the county emergency operations center during incidents, and works with the county's cities and towns. The county is inland and has no storm surge evacuation zones. When a tropical storm reaches the area, the main danger is flooding along rivers and creeks, which can make roads and bridges impassable and can force some homes to evacuate.

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 Cabarrus County Emergency Management. In a life threatening emergency, call 911.

What to know in Cabarrus County

  • You can send a text message to 911 in Cabarrus County. Use it only when making a call is not possible.
  • In an emergency, the Sheriff's Office and local police can place evacuation calls to home landlines. Register your cell phone with CabCoALERT so you also get evacuation and all clear notices.

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 704-920-2143 Office line. Not for emergencies.
County information line 704-920-2100 Office line. Not for emergencies.
Sheriff's Office 704-920-3000 Office line. Not for emergencies.
Animal services 704-920-3288 County animal shelter, run by the Sheriff's Office.
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

  • CabCoALERT: Free alerts by text, email, or phone. Sign up before a storm. You can add up to five locations in the county, and alerts include severe weather warnings. Website.
  • Cabarrus County Emergency Management: The county emergency management website. Website.
  • NC Flood Inundation Mapping and Alert Network (FIMAN): Real-time flood gauge readings for Cabarrus County, linked from the county's floodplain page. 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.

Cabarrus County opens shelters based on the type and severity of an emergency, such as severe weather or a long power outage, and does not publish a standing list. It may open general population shelters, medical support shelters for people with functional or access needs, and pet-friendly shelters when available. Evacuations and shelter openings are announced through CabCoALERT, local media, the county website, and county social media. Bring medications, identification, important papers, clothing, bedding, and hygiene items, but no weapons or alcohol.

Help to evacuate

  • Cabarrus County Animal Services: The county animal shelter at 244 Betsy Capenter Place, Concord, run by the Sheriff's Office. Phone: 704-920-3288. 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
WBT 1110 AM; 107.9 FM English Emergency Alert System primary station (PEP)
WSOC-FM 103.7 FM English Emergency Alert System primary station (LP2)
WHQC 96.1 FM English Emergency Alert System primary station (SR)

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
KJY85 162.525 MHz Statesville
WWF60 162.500 MHz Buck Mountain
WXL70 162.475 MHz Charlotte

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 Carolinas: Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 800-769-3766. Website.
  • EnergyUnited Electric Membership Corporation: Also written 1-800-EUNITED (automated system, outages and payments). Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 800-386-4833. Website.
  • Union Power Cooperative: Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 800-794-4423. Website.
  • City of Concord Electric Systems: Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 704-920-5555. 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 Metrolina: Regional food bank for 14 counties in North Carolina and 10 in South Carolina, based in Charlotte. Charlotte headquarters. Phone: 704-376-1785. 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

  • Partners Health Management: The public LME/MCO that manages mental health, substance use, and developmental disability services in 15 counties. Behavioral Health Crisis Line, 24 hours a day, every day. Member and Recipient Services: 1-888-235-4673, Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. For a crisis at any hour, you can also call or text 988. Phone: 1-833-353-2093. Website.
  • 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text, any time. Phone: 988.

Relief organizations

  • American Red Cross Southern Piedmont Chapter: The Red Cross chapter for 6 counties east of Charlotte. It runs shelters and gives emergency help after disasters and home fires. Chapter office in Monroe. For disaster help at any hour, call 1-800-733-2767. Phone: 704-283-7402. 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.