Buncombe County emergency alert system down, 911 not affected

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ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Buncombe County officials say the county’s emergency notification system is down, though 911 services remain unaffected.

The outage affects the county’s CodeRED/BC Alerts system, which sends emergency and non-emergency messages to subscribers via text, email and recorded phone calls. Officials said the disruption is part of a nationwide CodeRED system outage, and the vendor has not provided a timeline for restoration.

CodeRED also delivers Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) messages, or “reverse 911” calls, during emergencies such as evacuations. During the outage, requests for IPAWS alerts will be handled by North Carolina Emergency Management or FEMA.

To keep residents informed, the county is using a layered communication approach, sharing updates on its website, Facebook page, Nextdoor, X and Instagram. Local news outlets and community partners will also distribute urgent information.

Buncombe County officials said they are exploring alternative vendors to restore emergency messaging capabilities.

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