Pender County Emergency Management declared a state of emergency as of 7:00 am today. In response, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was activated at noon to ensure efficient coordination and direction of emergency efforts throughout the region. The state of emergency affects only the unincorporated areas of Pender County. Municipalities decide independently whether to declare their own states of emergency and enforce related regulations.

Due to extremely low temperatures, two warming sites open:

1. Willard Outreach Community Center
   9955 NC-11, Willard
2. Friendly Community Baptist Church
   1730 US-117, Burgaw

Closures:

• Saturday, Jan. 31:
  All county facilities are closed.
• Sunday, Feb. 1:
  All county facilities are closed.
• Monday, Feb. 2:
  County operations for Monday will be determined Sunday and announced through official county channels.

Complete list of closings.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Pender County. Snow is expected to begin Saturday morning, with 6 to 8 inches possible and higher localized amounts due to snow banding. Strong winds could create blowing snow and reduced visibility. Temperatures are expected to fall into the teens Saturday and Sunday nights, with wind chills near or below zero. Hazardous travel conditions are expected this weekend and may persist into next week.

For the latest weather updates, visit weather.gov/ilm/briefing. 

Pender County: Roads are accumulating snow and ice, and conditions are expected to worsen throughout the day and into the night as temperatures remain below freezing. Emergency officials are strongly urging residents to stay off the roads. Exercise extreme caution on bridges and overpasses, as they can ice over faster than other areas.

Follow the 5 P’s of cold weather safety:

• People: Dress warmly, limit exposure to extreme cold and check on family, friends and neighbors.
• Plants: Bring sensitive plants indoors or protect them from freezing.
• Pets: Provide warm shelter and do not leave pets outdoors in extreme cold.
• Pipes: Insulate exposed pipes and allow faucets to drip when needed.
• Portable Heaters: Use heaters safely, keep them away from combustible materials, and never leave them unattended.

For real-time road conditions, visit DriveNC.gov.

Residents are encouraged to download the Pender County Emergency Management app to receive emergency alerts, weather updates, and important safety information. The app is available in your phone’s app store by searching Pender County EM and enabling notifications.