Gov. Cooper: Over 41K without power across N.C. as winter storm moves through

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and state emergency management officials are giving an update on the winter storm that’s been impacting the state.

The briefing began shortly after 12 p.m. Sunday at the emergency operations center in Raleigh.

Cooper said significant icing is causing issues for the central part of the state and that there have been a number of wrecks on the roads.

“For today, the best way to avoid a car accident or getting stranded is to stay put,” Cooper said.

Col. Freddy Johnson Jr. with the N.C. State Highway Patrol said there have been 460 calls for service and 200 collisions in affected areas Sunday morning.

“Emergency responders are making every effort to respond to calls for service as fast as we can,” Johnson said.

Cooper said that more than 41,000 people are without power across the state as of 11:30 a.m. Sunday. He added some counties are preparing to open shelters for those who have lost power.

A list of open shelters can be found here.

POWER OUTAGE MAPS: Real-time North Carolina and South Carolina updates

On Thursday night, Cooper signed a state of emergency for N.C. ahead of the storm’s impact. That allowed for the activation of state resources to respond to the storm and to allow for the possibility of federal reimbursement if it’s needed.

“This storm is a menace. As much as a foot of snow is expected to fall in the mountains and foothills. In central North Carolina freezing rain and sleet on top of some snow will fall. The eastern part of our state expects heavy rain and flash flooding, plus high wind gusts,” Gov. Cooper said during a Saturday update.

Snow began falling across the Charlotte area, the mountains and the Piedmont early Sunday morning.

By mid-morning, snow in Charlotte began turning to sleet.

The North Carolina Emergency Management team expects ice and wind to bring down some trees and power lines.

Duke Energy officials said they have brought in extra crews from other parts of the country to help out.

Thousands of power outages have been reported across the Carolinas as of 11:30 a.m. Sunday, as the storm continues to move through the area.