CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. — The Concord Mills Mall area is full of stores and restaurants, but by 7 p.m. Saturday, most, if not all, were closed.
The amount of traffic, or lack of it, was noticeable too, and that’s exactly what first responders have been asking for in the days leading up to the storm.
The last time Cabarrus County faced a serious threat due to freezing rain and ice was back in 2002, when power outages were widespread and prolonged.
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“It was weeks for some,” said Daryl Sykes who experienced the storm more than 20 years ago.
Despite it being nearly a quarter of a century ago, Sykes of Concord remembers vividly his family fared pretty well when the power went out.
“It was about three or four hours is all it was out,” he said. “So we were lucky.”
But Channel 9 found him at a Concord Lowe’s, not taking any chances he and his wife won’t be prepared.
“When she got told she could work from home, can’t work from home if the power goes out,” said Sykes.
He’ll have an 8,000 watt generator for things like a refrigerator.
“The microwave, computer, TV, enough to get you by,” Sykes said.
“If you lose power, or if you see trees down in the roadway, you don’t want to call 911,” said Captain Kim Allred with Cabarrus County Emergency Medical Services. “You want to call your providers if you power is out, your gas out, et cetera.”
Captain Allred says 911 should be used only for true emergencies. She says her agency is ready to respond when the roads turn treacherous.
“We have 14 units,” she said. “We have outfitted them with our snow tires.”
She’s encouraging everyone to do exactly what Sykes is doing, watching the main event from home.
“I just accept what the good Lord sends,” Sykes said. “I don’t fret over it too much.”
Cabarrus County has activated an information line for residents to get the latest updates on local conditions and weather impacts. The number is (704) 920-COLD or (704) 920-2653.
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