Fact check: Did NC leaders mislead public about salt supplies before snow hit?
North Carolina officials say local governments may have misunderstood discussions about the state’s road salt availability ahead of this weekend’s snowstorm, even as at least one mayor publicly accused the governor of poor planning.
Monroe Mayor Robert Burns took aim at Gov. Josh Stein in a widely seen post on X, saying municipalities were warned before the storm that North Carolina faced a shortage of road salt and needed to be selective in treating roads — warnings Charlotte-Mecklenburg emergency officials say they also received. State officials, however, told The Charlotte Observer they had enough salt on hand to treat major roadways. Any limits discussed ahead of the storm were about how supplies would be shared, not whether the state was prepared, state officials said.
The storm brought one of the heaviest snowfalls the Charlotte area has seen in years, dumping up to 20 inches of snow in some parts of the state, prompting rescues of stranded drivers, causing widespread traffic accidents and leading to more than 1,000 flight cancellations at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
Was there a salt shortage this weekend?
Burns told The Charlotte Observer he received information about salt availability during a Union County emergency management briefing held ahead of the storm. The meeting included representatives from state agencies and focused on preparations for winter weather, he said.
Burns said officials in the briefing were told there was a statewide shortage of salt and brine and that the North Carolina Department of Transportation would prioritize major roads first. The message raised concerns among officials from municipalities that rely on coordination with the state to decide how they treat their roads.
“They told us there was a statewide shortage,” Burns said. “They said they were going to have to be selective.”
After the storm hit, Burns said he became frustrated when state leaders publicly pushed back on claims of a shortage, including in statements suggesting the state had enough salt on hand. That contrast prompted his social media post, he said.
“Somebody is not telling the truth,” Burns said. “If there was a mistake, own it and fix it.”
Days before the snow arrived, Stein expressed confidence in the state’s supply levels. During a Jan. 29 visit to an NCDOT facility in Raleigh, he said DOT employees felt confident they had enough salt and sand to handle another storm following icy conditions the week prior.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management spokesperson Paige Grande said the agency also received a briefing related to limited salt availability.
In an email to the Observer, Grande said the agency was informed early last week by North Carolina Emergency Management about a nationwide shortage of road salt and brine as part of daily briefings. The agency said it worked with state and local partners to ensure adequate supplies were available across Mecklenburg County. Across the country, meanwhile, cities and towns have reported a shortage of road salt, including in Vermont, Ohio, and New York.
Other local governments told The Observer they did not receive similar warnings.
Cabarrus County commission Chair Laura Blackwell Lindsey said she did not receive any communication from NCDOT or the state indicating a shortage of salt or brine ahead of the storm. Concord Mayor Steve Morris said he was not aware of any discussion about a shortage and said the city procures its own salt. Morris said Concord had no supply issues during the storm and still has salt remaining for future winter events.
“This has been an unprecedented amount of snow that exceeds the normal capabilities of the state and its municipalities,” Morris said in an email. “DOT and city crews are working at maximum capacity to clear the roads, but with low temperatures it is a slow process.”
State says there was confusion over availability
State officials say the difference in accounts reflects how resources were managed, not a lack of preparation.
Aaron Moody, NCDOT assistant communications director, said in a written statement the department communicated to some local officials ahead of the storm it would not be able to share salt supplies with municipalities in order to preserve resources for state-maintained routes such as interstates and highways.
“I think there is some confusion over the amount of salt NCDOT had on hand versus the availability of resources to share with local agencies,” Moody wrote. “The department advised local governments, public works departments, and emergency management agencies to coordinate directly with private suppliers or contracted local vendors for their salt or treatment needs.”
NCDOT said it had about 100,000 tons of salt on hand going into this week’s storm and pretreated roads with 3.5 million gallons of brine. The agency said it followed standard procedures that prioritize interstates, highways and other major connectors and worked with suppliers to restock salt during the storm. Stein told reporters Tuesday the state expects to have about 50,000 tons of salt on hand within the next few days and entered the recent winter weather stretch with enough supply to handle three major storms. He said the state has sent requests to states with surplus salt to help replenish its “salt bank.”
“We are on this,” Stein said. “We want to have two or three storms’ worth of salt on hand at any time, so we never run out.”
News & Observer Capitol Bureau Chief Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan contributed.
