Buncombe County Officials, Utilities Warn Residents to Prepare for Ice Outages

Buncombe County officials and utility leaders prepared for a winter storm that forecasters said could bring snow, ice and disruptions across Western North Carolina, heightening concern for the county’s aging infrastructure and tree-lined neighborhoods.

On Jan. 20, 2026, county emergency managers and municipal public-works leaders reviewed response plans and advised residents to ready themselves for possible power outages and water-line breaks. Officials cautioned that ice accumulations, in particular, could bring down tree limbs and cause outages, an effect that has repeatedly knocked out service in mountain communities where large, mature oaks and maples line streets and rural rights-of-way.

Duke Energy said it was monitoring forecasts and could deploy additional crews if needed to restore service and clear lines. Local public-works departments and emergency management staff discussed staging resources and coordinating with utilities to prioritize critical sites such as hospitals, nursing homes and water-treatment facilities, while also preparing to respond to downed branches and blocked roads.

The threat centers on icing on branches and power lines. Even a thin glaze of ice can add substantial weight to limbs and small trees, causing them to fracture and fall onto distribution lines. That scenario creates outages that can be prolonged in steep, forested areas where access for line crews is limited and restoration requires both tree crews and electrical crews to work in tandem.

Residents were urged to take practical steps now: charge essential devices, gather supplies to safely heat homes if power is interrupted, and insulate exposed pipes to reduce the risk of water-line breaks. Officials also emphasized following later forecast updates and local emergency alerts to know when conditions are changing and when municipal services such as road treatment or warming centers might be activated.

Municipal and county leaders said their top priorities are protecting public safety and shortening outage times by coordinating line repairs and debris removal. The county’s public-works teams will focus on critical arteries and known problem spots, while smaller neighborhood streets may face longer waits for service depending on storm impacts.

For Buncombe County residents, the immediate implication is to move from awareness to action: prepare for short-term loss of power and potential water service interruptions, secure outdoor equipment that could become projectiles under ice-laden branches, and monitor official updates. Weather conditions will determine whether crews must be deployed and for how long, and officials pledged to provide follow-up information as forecasts evolve.