Governor Says North Carolina Recovering from Winter Storm
Urges Continued Caution Moving Into Work Week

RALEIGH – Gov. Bev Perdue today praised law enforcement, transportation, emergency management and response crews for their hard work in response to the winter storm that is impacting much of the state. Crews continue working today responding to wrecks, clearing roads and monitoring the needs across the state.

"Even though the sun is shining across much of North Carolina today, the worst of the danger is not over. Tonight's freezing temperatures will leave tomorrow's roadways covered in ice. I continue to urge all residents to stay off the roads and to exercise extreme caution," said Gov. Perdue. "Let DOT crews do their work, let's get through the refreezing tomorrow, and then we hope to have much safer conditions on Tuesday."

Since midnight, the State Highway Patrol has received more than 2,000 calls for assistance statewide; most of those calls were in response to collisions. One storm-related traffic fatality has been reported in Wayne County.

More than 25,000 people are still without power (down from 41,650) across the state. Duke Energy was reporting the bulk of the outages. The company said it expects the power will be restored to its customers no later than 11 p.m. Tuesday.

Eleven shelters are currently open around the state, with about 80 occupants. Most of those seeking shelter are in Jackson County or the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Department of Transportation crews continue to plow roads around the state. Transportation officials report some of the worst road conditions are throughout the Piedmont area where many of the interstates and primary roads remain covered. NCDOT crews will continue plowing throughout the day and expect to make significant progress with the warmer temperatures and sunshine expected across most of the state today. However, they cautioned that conditions will be treacherous again later tonight and early Monday as temperatures drop and the roads refreeze.

Airport operations are beginning to return to normal in many areas. Passengers are advised to call their airline to check flight status before heading to the airport. While Amtrak 73 and 76 are running between Raleigh and Charlotte, many Amtrak trains have been cancelled for Sunday. For more information, passengers should call 1-800-872-7245.

Citizens are urged to contact emergency officials only for emergency situations. Please do not call 911 or the State Highway Patrol for road conditions. The lines must remain clear for emergency calls. To check road conditions, please visit the N.C. Department of Transportation's Traveler Information Management System at www.ncdot.org or call 511.