Preparing for Disasters in Union County

Hurricane Helene barreled through western North Carolina in September 2024, proving that unprecedented disasters can destroy communities, take lives and wipe out vital lifelines in a matter of hours while leaving long lasting impacts. Preparing for disasters like Hurricane Helene on “blue-sky” days, or days where no disaster is imminent or on the horizon, plays a critical role in disaster recovery and enhances resiliency in our region. By incorporating recovery in day-to-day tasks, local units ensure they are prepared once inevitable disasters strike. To bolster these efforts, Centralina Regional Council partnered with Union County Emergency Management to host an in-person Blue-Sky Disaster Preparedness training on June 26^th, 2024, at Union County’s Emergency Operations Center. Twenty-six participants from across Union, Anson and Iredell County joined us to determine action-oriented next steps and establish procedures to enact during disasters.  

The Blue-Sky Disaster Preparedness training program was built to support local government disaster preparedness activities by providing insight into recouping FEMA grant dollars and enhancing long-term recovery. Funding for this training was provided by the State of North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management in conjunction with the Department of Public Safety and the Office of Emergency Management. Centralina, in partnership with the North Carolina Association of Regional Councils of Government (NCARCOG), worked with consultants and subject matter experts to develop the Blue-Sky Disaster Preparedness training.  

Fruitful discussion with the group led to the conclusion that all disasters are local. For effective recovery, many roles outside of emergency management departments play an important part in resiliency work. Through this partnership with Union County, Centralina has been able to gather resources for all communities, large and small, to put into action before a crisis emerges. Please visit our member portal to access the course materials and learn more about your role in disaster recovery. Additionally, we encourage you to have a conversation with your emergency management leads and locate your emergency operations plan, hazard mitigation plan, and other disaster-related guides.