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Guilford County hurricane guide

Guilford County Emergency Management, part of Guilford County Emergency Services, plans for disasters and sends emergency alerts for Guilford County. Guilford is inland, so the main hurricane dangers are flooding, strong wind, and falling trees. The county rates flooding as a high risk and hurricanes and tropical storms as a medium risk. Sign up for GEANI alerts on your cell phone before a storm, because only published landlines are enrolled automatically.

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 Guilford 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 336-641-2278 Office line. Not for emergencies.
Sheriff's Office non-emergency 336-373-2222 For police matters that are not emergencies. The county also lists this number for downed trees blocking roads.
Animal services 336-641-3400 Guilford County Animal Services. After hours, on Sundays, and on holidays, call 336-373-2222.
Road and traffic conditions (511) 511 Road conditions and closures. From outside North Carolina call 877-511-4662. Overnight and during emergencies, use DriveNC.gov.

Official alerts and information

  • GEANI (Guilford Emergency Alert, Notification, and Information System): Free alerts by text, email, or phone. Sign up before a storm. Published landlines are enrolled automatically, but cell phones must be registered. Voice alerts come from 336-641-8100. Website.
  • Ready Guilford: The county's emergency information and preparedness 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.

Guilford County opens shelters only when a storm or other emergency calls for it. When shelters are open, the county posts them on its shelter information page. Do not go to a shelter until officials announce that it is open, and watch GEANI alerts for updates.

Official list of open evacuation centers

Help to evacuate

  • Guilford County Animal Services: County animal shelter and animal control. After hours, call 336-373-2222. Phone: 336-641-3400. 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
WYMY 101.1 FM Spanish Emergency Alert System primary station (LP1)
WTQR 104.1 FM English Emergency Alert System primary station (LP2)
WKRR 92.3 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
WXL42 162.400 MHz Winston-Salem

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 Raleigh: Local forecasts, watches, and warnings. Phone: 919-326-1042. 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • City of High Point Electric Utilities: Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 336-883-3111. 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

  • Trillium Health Resources: The public LME/MCO that manages mental health, substance use, and developmental disability services in 46 eastern and central counties. Behavioral Health Crisis Line, answered by licensed clinicians 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Member and Recipient Services: 1-877-685-2415. For a crisis at any hour, you can also call or text 988. Phone: 1-888-302-0738. Website.
  • 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text, any time. Phone: 988.

Relief organizations

  • American Red Cross Piedmont Triad Chapter: The Red Cross chapter for 11 counties in the Piedmont Triad. It runs shelters and gives emergency help after disasters and home fires. Chapter office in Greensboro. For disaster help at any hour, call 1-800-733-2767. Phone: 336-333-2111. 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.