Interstate 40 East and Westbound is now open up Old Fort Mountain for emergency and necessary travel. Travel will be slow so expect substantial delays still.
The Burke County Relief Center is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Food, clothing, hygiene items, and more are available. The center is at the Foothills Higher Education Center, 2128 S. Sterling St., Morganton.
If you need volunteer assistance or would like to volunteer, call Burke County’s volunteer hotline at 828-764-7068.
For welfare checks on Burke County residents, you can contact Burke County 911 center at 828-807-6396 between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. or fill out this form: https://forms.office.com/g/xBBa4CbJV. If you need a welfare check after outside of these hours, call their non-emergency line at 828-437-1911.
Viva la Vintage is hosting a canned food drive up until Tuesday, Oct. 15, which will be donated to local food banks. At 120 N. Sterling St., the shop is offering 10% with your donation.
The Old Rock School’s Waldensian Room is now a drop-off point for donations for the WNC hurricane recovery effort. Items will be delivered, with the help of local churches, to areas in dire need. Donations will be accepted from 8 a.m. until noon. Please limit donations to only the items listed: bottled and gallon water; batteries (all types); diapers; trash bags; wipes; lighters; canned goods; first aid supplies; toiletries; pillows, flashlights; baby formula; cleaning supplies; and non-perishable food. Call 828-879-2129 for more information. The Old Rock School is at 400 Main St. W, in Valdese.
Burke County’s shelter at Oak Hill United Methodist Church remains open. The church is at 2239 N.C. 181, Morganton.
The Rutherford College Town Hall has opened up the community room for individuals to access Wi-Fi for work, school, or communication purposes.
The Rutherford College Greenway is closed until personnel can access any trees that are leaning or in danger of falling.
Phifer YMCA is opening its doors to anyone who needs a shower, to charge their cellphones, etc. There are no fees. No exercise or swimming activities are taking place.
Burke County Public Schools are closed through Oct. 4. A decision on next week is expected Thursday.
The Burke County Courthouse’s all District and Superior Court criminal sessions have been canceled all week. The Clerk’s Office will be open for filings only and a drop box at 201 S. Green St. The Clerk’s Office will be open at 8 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Oct. 3.
The Burke County Chamber of Commerce business showcase, “Growing Business in Nature’s Playground,” at CoMMA has been postponed.
The City of Morganton garbage collection returned to its normal schedule on Tuesday, Oct. 1, and will continue on track for the rest of the week. Crews are working to get to houses as soon as possible while some are blocked off.
Athletics through the schools and recreation centers are suspended.
New Dimensions Charter School is closed through Oct. 4. Thursday, Oct. 3, and Friday, Oct. 4.
Western Piedmont Community College is closed through Oct. 4. The campus is being used as a staging area for Duke Energy recovery crews. All future Water Rescue courses have been canceled and the college is finding an alternative for the Morganton DPS TR Water Rescue class.
Morganton City Hall will reopen to the public on Wednesday, Oct. 2. City of Morganton Recreation Centers will open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. All City parks are closed until further notice.
Valdese Town Hall is open for regular hours.
The joint groundbreaking of the EMS Base and Animal Shelter for Burke County will not take place as originally planned on Oct. 4.
Burke County Board of Commissioners’ pre-agenda meeting scheduled for Oct. 1 was canceled. The commission will hold its regular meeting at 6 p.m. Oct. 15.
The following convenience sites are open and operating during normal business hours, 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- 3836 N.C.18 S., Morganton
- 3251 U.S. 64, Morganton
- 1679 N.C. 126, Morganton (Note: This location is currently without power and can only accept bagged trash at this time.)
- 2350 U.S. 70, Connelly Springs
Burke County is beginning debris cleanup efforts following the recent storm. Do not bring debris to the landfill. To ensure the process is efficient and in line with federal guidelines, the County is adhering to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) standards for debris removal.
Important instructions for residents:
Do not bring debris to the landfill: To avoid disposal charges, residents should not transport storm debris to the landfill. The county has contracted with a hauler to manage debris collection directly from residential areas.
Debris collection process: Our contracted hauler will be tagging debris and coordinating pickups throughout the county. You do not need to be present for pickup. They will make two to three passes through affected areas to ensure all debris is collected.
Debris separation: Residents are requested to move storm debris to the back of the curb at the right of way and separate it into three distinct piles:
1. Vegetation (tree limbs, branches, etc.)
2. White goods (appliances like refrigerators, washing machines)
3. Building materials (construction debris, wood, drywall)
By keeping the debris sorted into these categories, we can ensure faster and more efficient pickup.
Please be patient as the County works to manage the cleanup. Due to the large volume of material, there may be some delays.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.