City of Asheville staff stands ready to serve the community through any emergency. Departments and personnel are staffed and ready to respond immediately to any weather related issue.
The City of Asheville recommends that all residents take important steps now to prepare for potential severe weather throughout the season. The extreme temperatures forecast for this weekend are a great reminder that we all have personal responsibilities for our own safety and for those depending on us.
Information in an emergency
We encourage all community members to sign up for AVL Alert and recommend following City of Asheville website and social media on Facebook and X for the most immediate weather impact related information. Please also follow Asheville Fire Department and Asheville Police Department social media channels.
Preparations by the City of Asheville
The Public Works Department has teams and loaded equipment standing by should winter weather impact City streets or our stormwater systems.
The Water Resources Department is staffed and ready to respond to customer needs throughout the extreme weather forecast.
Water Resources personnel have also completed cold-weather mitigation measures at our treatment plants including:
- Re-plumbing and insulating chemical feed lines
- Resealing and adding heat tape to valve actuators
- Replacing air relief valves
All public safety services, including police, fire, and emergency response, remain available – 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Sign up for AVL Alert
AVL Alert is an emergency and non-emergency notification system. This service enables the City of Asheville to provide you with information that you want to receive via the communication methods that you choose. The system allows you to enter up to five geographic locations of your choosing within the City limits of Asheville. By registering for the system you are automatically subscribed to emergency alerts.
Family, home, and travel: Tips & best practices
Whether you’re a longtime Asheville resident or new to the city, this guide will help you make the most of the snowy months.
Water Resources recommends these best practices to avoid frozen pipes.
Prepare for an emergency with a supply kit
It is important to make sure you have an emergency supply kit and be prepared for whatever type of disaster that you may face. Time spent planning ahead of an emergency will allow you to remain calm and take appropriate actions should an emergency occur.
Other tips and resources
Get tips straight from Water Resources and Asheville fire public information officers Clay Chandler and Kelley Klope. (video)
Know Code Purple resources available through the community. Follow the Asheville Homeless Coalition social media. Recent notable updates include:
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- 43 new shelter beds (jointly funded by City and County ARPA) are all up and running.
- Compass Point Village (in the former Days Inn on Tunnel Road) which opened in mid-September is nearly fully occupied, providing permanent supportive housing for 87 people.
- Code Purple is active at ABCCM and Salvation Army, with expanded criteria this year to include nights that are 33-40 degrees with precipitation, which will mean a significant gain in shelter nights.
The updates above mean that 221 more beds are now available compared with fall of this year.
National Readiness Resources: