Governor Josh Stein is urging North Carolinians to stay off the roads as the state begins a slow, icy recovery from a historic winter storm that has left travel conditions "dicey" from the mountains to the coast.
Speaking from the State Emergency Operations Center, the Governor emphasized that while the snow has stopped falling, the danger on the pavement is far from over.
The clearing effort is currently a massive logistical undertaking. More than 2,500 North Carolina Department of Transportation employees and contractors are working around the clock, focusing their heavy machinery on interstates and primary highways first. State officials confirmed that crews have already spread more than 15,000 tons of salt to combat the pack, but they warned that secondary roads and neighborhood streets in Eastern North Carolina could take up to a full week to be cleared.
The human toll of the storm’s impact on travel has been significant. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol reported responding to more than 1,100 traffic collisions statewide since the first flakes began to fall. At least two fatalities have been attributed to the treacherous conditions.
Governor Stein stressed that even if a road appears clear, the "refreeze" cycle—where melting snow turns into invisible black ice overnight—remains a primary threat for the remainder of the week.
Across the coastal region, states of emergency remain in effect for communities like Morehead City, Havelock, and New Bern to manage resources and maintain travel restrictions. The Governor noted that the North Carolina National Guard remains deployed with high-mobility vehicles to assist stranded motorists and reach areas that standard emergency vehicles still cannot access.
