Impacts from Hurricane Helene remain widespread in the mountain and foothill regions of North Carolina. Resident and visitor safety remains our top priority, and North Carolina’s departments of safety and transportation continue to monitor conditions to ensure safe travel.

Click for Interactive Advisory Map

State and local officials strongly advise motorists avoid travel in Western North Carolina due to the risks associated with landslides, slope failures, downed trees and road closures. Power and cell phone service outages are widespread as are shortages of water, food and gas. Drivers should use extreme caution when encountering downed power lines and trees or water on the roadway. Do not drive around barricades, through flooded areas or pools of standing water.

Visitors should call their travel provider to confirm alternative travel plans, including reservations with lodging providers, and heed the guidance from local officials. If you cannot reach your travel provider, you should consider them to be unavailable and reschedule your trip after confirming they are open and ready to welcome visitors.

While travelers should generally avoid the mountains in Western North Carolina, there are less impacted areas in the far western section of the state ready and welcoming visitors including the counties of Cherokee (Murphy area), Clay (Hayesville area), Graham (Robbinsville area), Jackson (Cashiers, Dillsboro and Sylva area), Macon (Franklin and Highlands area) and Swain (Bryson City area). Visitors should call ahead to confirm their plans and ensure safe routes for travel to access these destinations. Use the interactive map above to access local information from mountain region counties. 

Piedmont (central NC) and Coastal (eastern NC) destinations are also ready and welcoming visitors.

DriveNC.gov provides current highway conditions including widespread closures across Western North Carolina. Of particular note are closures preventing travelers from getting from North Carolina to Tennessee via I-40 or I-26:

  • I-26 closed both directions near the Tennessee state line
  • I-40 closed both directions, Mile Markers 20 to 0 from Lake Junaluska and Canton areas to the Tennessee state line 

Go to ReadyNC.gov for current weather conditions and watches.

Call Center & Welcome Centers

The Visit North Carolina Call Center is currently operating from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Live operators will offer the latest information and updates at 1-800-VISITNC (800-847-4862).

Live assistance can be found at the I-26 East, I-26 West, I-77 North, I-77 South, I-85 North, I-85 South I-95 North and I-95 South Welcome Centers, which are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The I-40 West Welcome Center is closed.

Lodging Assistance

Evacuees and travelers looking for accommodations may contact our Call Center at 1-800-VISITNC (800-847-4862). Toll-free phone numbers and booking sites to major chain accommodations can also be found here.

Or travelers can access real-time North Carolina lodging inventory through Expedia and Airbnb. Additional information on Airbnb's partnership with local nonprofits to offer free, temporary housing for those displaced is noted further below under How You May Help/Donate.

Visit Winston-Salem is listing special offers to help evacuees, first responders and those displaced seeking lodging options. 

How You May Help/Donate

If you’re able and willing to donate to relief efforts for those affected in Western North Carolina, the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund is accepting contributions.

The NC Hospitality Workers Relief Fund, managed by the NCRLA Foundation, is accepting contributions. All funds raised will go directly to support restaurant and hotel employees in Western North Carolina facing significant financial hardship in the aftermath of the storm. You may donate directly to the fund or consider establishing fundraising efforts in your business and remitting proceeds directly to the NC Hospitality Workers Relief Fund. To learn more, please contact Courtney Hamm at chamm@ncrla.org or 919-844-7883.

The North Carolina Arts Foundation is accepting contributions to further their assistance to artists and arts organizations affected by Hurricane Helene. 

Airbnb is partnering with local nonprofits in North Carolina to connect those displaced by the storm with temporary free housing. Find more information on the offering, how to provide free or discounted stays or make a donation to relief efforts here.

Southern Smoke Foundation is also offering emergency assistance to workers in the food and beverage industry in North Carolina who have been affected. Contributions to their efforts can be made here. 

Recovery Resources

Individuals, families and businesses seeking assistance in the aftermath of the storm can find a listing of resources from the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina here.