Winter Storm Death Toll Rises To 3 In North Carolina

NORTH CAROLINA — More than 38,000 homes and businesses were still without power in North Carolina Tuesday morning following a powerful winter storm that brought snow, sleet and freezing rain over the weekend, as the storm's death toll rose to three, according to Gov. Roy Cooper.

The bulk of the power outages were in hard-hit western North Carolina’s Rutherford, Haywood and Polk counties, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Since the storm began, more than 500,000 homes have had power restored, Cooper said. As of Tuesday morning, 60 school districts remain closed in North Carolina with 17 on delayed schedules.

At least three storm-related deaths have been reported in North Carolina, including a man killed by a falling tree in Matthews, a woman who died in Hospice care in Haywood County, and a driver who suffered a medical emergency along Interstate 77 after his truck became stuck, Cooper said. One additional death remains under investigation

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In what was the state’s first major winter storm of the season, prolonged snowfall that began late Saturday and continued into Monday morning throughout much of western and central North Carolina dumped as much as two feet or more of snow in the mountains, Cooper said.

In Yadkin County, the snow total was closer to three feet, he said.

“Reminders of it linger, in the form of slippery roads, fallen trees and downed power lines,” he said.

According to North Carolina State Highway Patrol, there have been 2,300 storm-related accidents and 5,800 calls for service.

Since the storm’s inception, more than 2,000 Department of Transportation workers and 900 contractors have focused on road clearance, distributing 38,000 tons of salt. On Tuesday, DOT crews will focus on clearing secondary roads — an effort that should also be aided by warming temperatures, Cooper said. Tuesday night’s expected lows, which could dip into the teens and 20s in parts of the state, are expected to create a new travel hazard Wednesday morning: black ice.

“If conditions in your area are still dangerous, don’t take the risk,” he said. “In the morning, even when it looks clear, we ask that people drive slower, increase distances, and be on the lookout, particularly on bridges and overpasses,” Cooper said.

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