Gov. Stein declares state of emergency in NC as another winter storm closes in on the Triangle
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- North Carolina is under another state of emergency as the Triangle prepares for a second dose of winter weather.
Gov. Josh Stein made a stop in Raleigh at an NCDOT facility on Thursday with other state officials, including heads from the NCDOT, state emergency management, and the NC National Guard.
The governor also thanked some of the DOT crews who worked throughout the last storm and spoke about the preparations ahead of this latest storm.
"It's better to not be on the roads if you possibly cannot be. If you have to be on the roads, give a lot of distance to the car in front of you, go slower. We want people to be safe," he said. "We really encourage folks to stay home starting Friday night."
Stein said they're prepared for the storm, but did warn about what they're expecting will be greater effects along the coast from this weekend's storm.
WATCH: Stein's full remarks on storm prep
"We expect to have greater concentrations of snow east rather than in the mountains," he said. "There is also concern about over-wash from tides on the Outer Banks."
North Carolina Transportation Secretary Daniel Johnson said road-treatment operations are well underway across the state.
"Going into the storm, one thing we would do is make sure we're bolstering our supplies. We've got more than enough salt on hand. We're continuing to work with our suppliers and even our peers in other states where they may have some extra supplies if we need them," he said.
LIVE UPDATES | Winter storm could bring more snow than ice to central North Carolina this weekend
Johnson said that more than 2,500 people responded during last week's storm to plow and break apart ice on highways. That work helped contribute to no fatalities on North Carolina roads during the storm.
With another storm quickly approaching, state officials echoed the same message -- stay home and stay off the roads.
"It's not worth the risks that are going to come with this storm, with heavy storm, heavy winds," said Johnson. "It's going to be difficult to see. The road conditions are going to deteriorate quickly on Saturday."
Stein said he has had good communication with the White House, as well as the Coast Guard.
He says he hopes the White House will accept this latest emergency declaration in case federal dollars are needed to help clean up the state after the storm.
