Haywood County hurricane guide¶
Haywood County Emergency Services runs emergency management for the county and coordinates with the towns of Waynesville, Clyde, Canton, and Maggie Valley. Haywood is a mountain county, so the main dangers from hurricanes and tropical storms are heavy rain, flash floods, river flooding, and landslides. Hurricane Helene hit the county in 2024. If you see signs of a landslide or rising water, the county's advice is to get to higher ground, fast.
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 Haywood County Emergency Services. 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 | 828-452-6600 | Haywood County Emergency Services. Office line. Not for emergencies. |
| Sheriff's Office dispatch | 828-452-6666 | For police matters that are not emergencies. Also the after-hours number for animal emergencies. |
| Animal services | 828-456-5338 | Haywood County Animal Services. After hours, call 828-452-6666. |
| 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¶
- Haywood Alerts: Free alerts by text, email, or phone. Sign up before a storm. You only get these alerts if you sign up. Website.
- Ready Haywood: The county's disaster preparedness and recovery site, with pages on flooding, landslides, and Hurricane Helene recovery. 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.
Haywood County does not publish a standing list of hurricane shelters. If shelters open for a storm, the county will announce them through Haywood Alerts and Ready Haywood. Do not go to a shelter until officials say it is open. In heavy rain, people near streams and on steep slopes should be ready to move to higher ground quickly.
Help to evacuate¶
- Haywood County Animal Services: 453 Jones Cove Road, Clyde. After hours, call 828-452-6666. Phone: 828-456-5338. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| WMIT | 106.9 FM | English | Emergency Alert System primary station (LP1) |
| WKSF | 99.9 FM | English | Emergency Alert System primary station (LP2) |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| WXL56 | 162.400 MHz | Asheville (part of the county) |
TV stations¶
| Station | Channel | Network | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| WLOS (WLOS News 13) | 13 | ABC | English |
| WYFF (WYFF News 4) | 4 | NBC | English |
| WSPA-TV (WSPA 7NEWS) | 7 | CBS | English |
| WHNS (FOX Carolina) | 21 | Fox | English |
| WUNF-TV (PBS North Carolina) | 33 | PBS | English |
| WUNW (PBS North Carolina) | 27 | 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.
- Haywood Electric Membership Corporation: Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 800-951-6088. Website.
- Town of Waynesville Electric: Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 828-550-0070. 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¶
- 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 Western North Carolina Chapter: The Red Cross chapter for 16 mountain counties and the Qualla Boundary. It runs shelters and gives emergency help after disasters and home fires. Chapter office in Asheville. For disaster help at any hour, call 1-800-733-2767. Phone: 828-258-3888. 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.haywoodcountync.gov/192/Emergency-Management
- https://www.haywoodncsheriff.com/
- https://www.haywoodcountync.gov/878/Animal-Control
- https://www.ncdot.gov/travel-maps/traffic-travel/511-information/Pages/default.aspx
- https://readyhaywood.com/emergency-alerts/
- https://readyhaywood.com/
- https://www.weather.gov/source/nwr/JS/CCL.js
- https://api.weather.gov/zones/county/NCC087
- https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WMIT
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WKSF
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WLOS
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WYFF
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WSPA-TV
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WHNS
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WUNF-TV
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WUNW
- https://www.duke-energy.com/safety-and-preparedness/overhead-power-lines
- https://www.haywoodemc.com/member-services/outage-center/
- https://www.waynesvillenc.gov/departments/public-works
- 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://legalaidnc.org/topic/disaster/
- https://www.redcross.org/local/north-carolina/about-us/locations/western-north-carolina.html