Large-Scale Multi-County Search & Rescue Exercise April 4-7, 2024

Western Piedmont Community College in partnership with NC Emergency Management will host the 2024 NC Catawba Flood and Land Search Exercise. The weekend kicks off in Western North Carolina with the majority of the exercise held in Burke County and WPCC serving as the base of operations. Water exercises will also occur throughout Burke, Caldwell and McDowell Counties.

Roadways and areas throughout the City of Morganton; I-40; Wilson Creek, South Mountains, Lake James areas and the Catawba River from the Bridgewater Dam Tailrace into the City of Morganton will be affected. Please use caution around the West Fleming Street & Coal Chute Road intersection as apparatus will be entering and exiting near the entrance to the NC School of Math & Science Entrance.

Residents should be prepared to see emergency responders including ground, water and air assets, in the area throughout the week.

This exercise is designed to test first-responder water and land search and rescue teams’ capabilities to mobilize, integrate and deploy search and rescue assets.

It will also include areas to test resources in dynamic and static water rescue, wide area search, lost/missing person search in flood and wilderness environments, logistics and base of operations, communications, as well as command and control. Air and ground resources will be utilized to respond to various scenarios and provide time for debriefings to share best practices across the various response agencies.