Black Mountain, Buncombe Officials Warn of Jan. 24 Ice Storm; Shelters Open

Black Mountain and Buncombe County authorities mobilized ahead of a destructive ice storm that arrived Jan. 24, urging residents to prepare for hazardous road conditions and the likelihood of extended power outages. The National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg issued an ice storm warning from 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24 through 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26, forecasting compacted sleet and snow up to about 2 inches, up to 1 inch of ice and wind gusts as high as 40 mph in and around the Swannanoa Valley.

Local officials framed the storm as a public-safety and infrastructure risk. Ice accumulation on tree limbs and power lines was expected to make roads treacherous and to produce widespread outages. Black Mountain public safety coordinated with Buncombe County Emergency Operations as town crews and county agencies staged pre-event work designed to reduce impacts on critical services.

In a Jan. 22 press release, the Town of Black Mountain urged residents to prepare emergency supply kits and outlined municipal preparations. Town crews fueled and inspected vehicles and equipment, topped off fuel tanks at critical facilities, sharpened and fueled chainsaws, pre-treated roads, mapped six plow zones and placed a snow-removal contractor on standby. Those measures were intended to speed response to blocked roads and fallen trees once the storm began.

Buncombe County declared a local state of emergency effective Jan. 23 and opened three shelters on Jan. 24 to support residents whose homes lost heat or power. The shelters were Swannanoa Hearts with Hands, the Erwin High School gymnasium and the Reuters YMCA; each site was equipped with generators and offered warming station services. Explore Asheville coordinated with lodging providers to arrange reduced “snow rates” for displaced residents and visitors needing temporary accommodations.

The storm’s localized severity in the Swannanoa Valley matters for travel and restoration timelines. Narrow valley roads and tree-lined corridors are particularly vulnerable to ice-related damage, which can slow utility crews and road-clearing operations. Extended outages create secondary risks for residents who rely on electric heat, medical devices or well pumps.

For now, town and county officials have focused on response coordination and public safety priorities: clearing primary routes, assessing damage to substations and lines, and getting warming centers and emergency services to affected neighborhoods. Residents are advised to monitor official Black Mountain and Buncombe County channels for restoration updates, shelter status and road closures.

The immediate test for local institutions will be recovery speed and transparency. Residents will be watching how quickly power is restored to critical facilities and private homes, how effectively plow and repair crews can reach steep and narrow roads, and how well shelters and lodging arrangements meet demand as crews work to return services to normal.