McDowell County 911 / Emergency Management

06/04/2026

Drought monitor has been updated and we see some continued improvement region-wide as we have seen continued scattered storms.

With us back in a dry spell, water conservation measures are still very important!

06/03/2026

Emergency personnel from multiple agencies came together last week to conduct an emergency exercise at Catawba Falls. The Trails & Coffee Training series allows emergency responders to train together on the various trail systems in McDowell County. We appreciate everyone who came out and attended this training. Delivering world class emergency services no matter what the setting is remains our top goal!

Pictures by: Lt. Josh Guthrie and Sugar Hill FD.

05/28/2026

The latest update regarding the ongoing drought can be found below. The rainfall over the past week has definitely helped!

Drought monitor has been released and as expected, there is some improvement across the Foothills and Western Piedmont due to the recent rainfall.

We still have a long way to go but progress has been made short-term.

05/27/2026

* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected. * WHERE...Central McDowell County within the upper Catawba River watershed from Pleasant Gardens to Marion to the Lake James inlet. * ...

05/27/2026

McDowell County Emergency Services will be conducting an emergency response exercise today at Catawba Falls in Old Fort from 8:30 a.m. until noon. The public may notice an increased presence of ...

05/26/2026

Impressive rainfall totals have been recorded across the county since May 21st! Due to the coverage of thunderstorms the totals vary by community. McDowell County EM in conjunction with the McDowell Fire Commission and local fire departments have a network of electronic weather stations deployed across McDowell County to improve situational awareness during hazardous events.

Flash flooding was reported on Monday night along Thompsons Fork on Roland's Chapel Rd. No injuries were reported.

Should you encounter a flooded roadway, remember to turn around and never attempt to cross the floodwaters. Citizens can monitor real time conditions by downloading the free Davis Weatherlink App and selecting the local weather stations. If you record rainfall at your house or business leave us a comment on the amount you have received so far.

• McDowell County EOC – 8.44"
• Marion Fire Department – 7.91"
• Nebo Fire Department – 7.68"
• Sugar Hill Fire Station 2 – 7.61"
• Sugar Hill Fire Station 1 – 6.56"
• Glenwood Fire Department – 6.50"
• Hankins Fire Department – 6.28"
• PG Fire Department – 5.92"
• Woodlawn Fire Department – 5.98"
• Crooked Creek Fire Department – 5.67"
• Dysartsville Fire Department – 5.28"
• Old Fort East Main Street – 4.92"
• Ashford North Cove Fire Department – 4.92"

05/26/2026

Latest update from the National Weather Service. ⬇️

05/26/2026

* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected. * WHERE...Portions of piedmont and western North Carolina, including the following counties, in piedmont North Carolina, Alexander, ...

05/26/2026

* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected. * WHERE...A portion of western North Carolina, including the following county, McDowell. * WHEN...Until 1100 PM EDT. * ...