Montreat Minute for January 23, 2026
Be Ready for the Winter Storm
As of this morning, it is highly likely we will be slammed by an ice storm on Saturday and Sunday, then extremely cold weather on Monday and Tuesday. Please be prepared for this major event.
Montreat has joined with Buncombe County in declaring a State of Emergency. Any updates for the community will be sent out via the website, special Montreat Minutes, and social media. In the event of emergency conditions, CodeRED will be employed.
Town staff are preparing, with Public Works and the Montreat Police Department working around the clock throughout the storm to respond to conditions and emergencies as quickly as possible.
We strongly encourage residents to stay off the roads during the storm. Road conditions will likely deteriorate rapidly, and limiting travel helps keep you safe and allows emergency crews and utility workers to do their jobs.
Please prepare now. Here are some tips on being ready:
- Heat & warmth: Extra blankets, warm clothing, and one “warm room” to stay in if the power goes out
- Light & power: Flashlights (not candles), fresh batteries, fully charged phones, and charged battery packs
- Food & water: Easy-to-eat, no-cook items and bottled water; don’t forget a manual can opener
- Medicines & health: Refill prescriptions now; keep a written list of medications and a small first-aid kit
Safety at home:
- If using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs
- Run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent pipes from freezing, particularly on Monday and Tuesday
- Open the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing
- Keep garage doors closed. Wind is often the culprit causing frozen pipes
- Hoses that are still connected to hose bibs can cause the pipes to break, so unscrew hoses from the hose outlets
- Portable generators: If you use one, operate it outdoors only, never in a garage or enclosed space
It is very possible that the power may go out due to the ice. If it does:
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible
- Use flashlights instead of candles
- Check on a neighbor if you’re able, especially anyone who lives alone or may need assistance
We will share updates as conditions change. Thank you for helping keep yourself, your neighbors, and our community safe.
What is CodeRED?
CodeRED is a nationally implemented, web-based, critical communication system that enables local public safety personnel to notify residents and businesses by telephone, text message, email, and social media of time-sensitive information, emergencies, or urgent notifications. In fact, the CodeRED system was used several times during Hurricane Helene to alert residents near Flat Creek to evacuate.
The system can reach everyone in minutes to ensure information such as evacuation notices, missing persons, inclement weather advisories, and more are quickly shared.
When will CodeRED be used? Any message regarding the safety of our residents and community will be disseminated using CodeRED. Alerts will be sent via phone, text, email, and social media in a variety of situations including boil water notices, floods, evacuation notices, police activity, fire emergencies, missing persons, and more. This is a community alert system to ensure you remain informed of important information.
To receive CodeRED alerts, you must sign up. CLICK HERE to register and set up an account to receive Montreat CodeRED messages.
Did You Know?
Choosing how to spend time in Montreat is almost never an issue. There are trails to hike, rocks to hop, and streams to dam. You can see friends at the Huck, visit the Presbyterian Heritage Center, and enjoy a book on the Moore Center porch.
But what about those early settlers? How did Mary Martin, C. C. Lord, Cora Stone, the Rudds, the Collins, and others spend their time? Well, there were trails to hike, rocks to hop, and streams to dam. There was a store with a library in one corner operated by Cora Stone. They often went horseback riding. And, just like today, they had each other.
Early residents spent a lot of time in each other’s homes. Mary Martin hosted a tea in her home, Chinquapin, less than a month after she moved in (November 1898), indicating that she planned to “invite as many people as we have cups and saucers.”
In January 1899, Montreaters began a book club – the Shakespeare Reading Club. It met every Friday night in different homes. They began with The Tempest before moving on to Julius Caesar. While we don’t know how long this particular club lasted, we do know that books and reading have always been an important part of Montreat life. Following Stone’s death in 1904, her library of more than 1,300 books was moved to the Community Building (now the post office) and named the “Cora A. Stone Memorial Library.” Elizabeth Foreman curated and grew the collection to almost 5,000 volumes. It was merged with the Montreat College Library in 1935 and remained available to the public.
In addition to that first little library, there has long been some sort of bookstore. Can you remember taking a book out to the bookstore porch and reading it, losing track of time? Other book clubs have flourished. Currently, the Presbyterian Heritage Center sponsors a book club that meets at 2:00 pm on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Discussing a book with friends can be so much more rewarding than scrolling through the news feed on your mobile device! The next PHC Book Club gathering is scheduled for February 17 for a discussion of Necessary to Explain: A Memoir by Neal Lloyd. Visit the PHC website to learn more about the Book Club
Thanks to the Presbyterian Heritage Center, especially Nancy Midgette, for this glimpse from the past. Stop by the PHC for additional Montreat history and so much more. Have an idea for a future “Did You Know?”? Let Nancy know at midgette@elon.edu.
Updates and Reminders
- Please note that due to the impending storm and follow up by Public Works, trash/recycle pickup will be delayed to Tuesday. The Convenience Center will be open 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, but please be careful given the expected ice.
- Do you receive your own copy of the Montreat Minute or know someone who doesn’t? Sign up for the Sunshine List to receive the Montreat Minute and stay “in the know” about the Town’s happenings. CLICK HERE to sign up for the list!
- Do you receive Montreat CodeRED alerts, an emergency communications system used a number of times during the hurricane? If not, CLICK HERE to register and ensure you will be contacted in the event of an emergency.
Questions or Comments?
Do you have Town-related questions or comments to offer? If so, please send them to Angela Murphy at info@townofmontreat.org and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Please stay safe through the storm
