Ashe County Emergency Management

09/05/2026

09/05/2026

Hello,

The following is a briefing from the NWS Blacksburg office as of Saturday September 05, 2026 4:04 AM.

Threats:

Location: Entire Area

Timing:
Severe Storms and Locally Heavy Rain: Late this afternoon and evening
Heat Index approaching 100F: 12pm through 5pm

Overview and Impacts:
Damaging Wind Gusts: Gusts up to 60 mph that may lead to downed trees and power poles causing localized power outages
Hail: Damage to crops.
Locally Heavy Rain: Isolated flooding of small streams, low lying areas, and urban areas with poor drainage
Hot Conditions: Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses

09/04/2026

The following is a briefing from the NWS Blacksburg office as of Friday, September 4, 2026 5 AM.

Threats: Damaging Winds, Hail, Locally Heavy Rain, and Heat

Location: Damaging Winds, Hail, and Locally Heavy Rain -- Entire region
Heat: Portions of the VA/NC Piedmont

Timing:
• Damaging Winds, Hail, and Locally Heavy Rain - Afternoon into early evening
• Heat: 12pm through 5pm (Heat Index around 100 F)

Overview and Impacts:
• Thunderstorm wind gusts can blow down trees and power lines, which may result in localized power outages.
• Large hail can damage crops, windshields, and roof tiles.
• Locally heavy rain can cause isolated flooding of small streams, low lying areas, and urban areas with poor drainage
• Hot conditions could result in heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

09/03/2026

The following is a briefing from the NWS Blacksburg office as of Thursday September 3, 2026 6 AM.

Threats: Heat, Damaging Winds, and Large hail

Location: For the heat, mainly the Piedmont of VA and NC and urban areas like Roanoke. For the severe thunderstorms: highest risk for today is eastward of a line from Hinton, WV to Halifax, VA, east of I-77 for Friday, and along the NC/VA and southward on Saturday.

Timing:
• Each day 11 AM to 8 pm today through Friday for the heat.
• Today through Saturday afternoons and evenings for thunderstorms with damaging winds and large hail.

Overview and Impacts:
• Dangerously hot conditions could quickly result in heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
• Thunderstorm wind gusts can blow down trees and power lines, which may result in localized power outages.
• Large hail can damage crops, windshields, and roof tiles.

09/01/2026

The following is a briefing from the NWS Blacksburg office as of Tuesday September 1, 2026 6 AM.

Threats: Heat and Damaging Winds

Location: For the heat, mainly the Piedmont of VA and NC and urban areas like Roanoke. For the damaging winds, the higher risk exists northeast of a Beckley, WV to Danville, VA line Thursday, and for the Greenbrier Valley, southern Shenandoah Valley and part of the VA Piedmont Friday.

Timing:
• Each day 11 AM to 7 pm today through Friday for the heat.
• Thursday and Friday afternoons and evenings for thunderstorms with damaging winds.

Overview and Impacts:
• Dangerously hot conditions could quickly result in heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
• Thunderstorm wind gusts can blow down trees and power lines, which may result in localized power outages

08/31/2026

Possible exposure dates/locations include:
-Statesville
-Lexington
-Mecklenburg
-Watauga
-Burke
-Davie
-Durham
-Iredell counties.

If you touched or handled the goats at any of these events, contact your local health department before visiting urgent care/ER to see if preventive treatment is needed.
Rabies is deadly but preventable.

More info here epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov/cd/diseases/rabies.html

08/31/2026

The following is a briefing from the NWS Blacksburg office as of Monday, August 31, 2026.

Threats: Extreme Heat

Location: VA and NC Piedmont to the Roanoke Valley and southern Shenandoah Valley

Timing:
• Tuesday through Friday, peaking Wednesday and Thursday.
• Hottest in the afternoon to early evening hours.

Overview and Impacts:
• Dangerously hot conditions resulting in high heat indices can cause a significant increase in heat related illnesses.
• High risk individuals (children, elderly, pets, those with chronic illness) should avoid exertion or extended periods of time outdoors.

08/29/2026

UPDATE(8/29): AppHealthCare has identified a specific exposure site — a birthday party in Boone on August 8, where Farm Adventures was present. If you attended, please see our newer post or call AppHealthCare at (828) 795-1970.
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⚠ ️ Rabies confirmed in petting zoo goats — check if you w⚠️ Rabies confirmed in petting zoo goats — check if you w exposed.

State officials confirmed multiple rabies cases in baby goats at Farm Adventures, a mobile petting zoo based in Harmony, NC. The goats may have been contagious at events in multiple counties between July 28 and August 27.

If you had contact with these goats during that window, at any location, contact your local health department right away to find out if preventive medication is needed.

AppHealthCare (serving Alleghany, Ashe & Watauga) is sharing this alert as a precaution while it's confirmed whether any exposure events were in our area.

Questions? Call AppHealthCare: (828) 264-4995

Full story link in comments

08/29/2026

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed multiple rabies cases in baby goats at a mobile petting zoo located in…

08/28/2026

The following is a weather briefing from NWS Blacksburg as of 420 AM on Friday, August 28, 2026:

Overview: A front stalls along the Piedmont this afternoon. Scattered storms will again develop by the afternoon, and persist into the evening. A few of these storms could become strong to severe, with isolated damaging wind gusts possible. There is also a potential for localized flooding due to slow moving storms and training of storms.. The better chance for both will mainly along and east of the Blue Ridge mountains.

Threats:
• Localized flash flooding
• Damaging wind gusts
Locations and Timing:
• Mainly along/east of the Blue Ridge this afternoon and evening.
Impacts:
• High rainfall rates and/or storms passing repeatedly over the same locations can lead to localized flash flooding that may result in impassable roads and bridges (urband street flooding is also possible)
• Creeks and streams could quickly rise out of their banks and flood low-lying areas.
• Thunderstorm wind gusts can blow down trees and power lines, potentially causing localized power outages