Merry Hill - Midway Volunteer Fire Department

02/24/2026

COMMUNITY ALERT!!!

Detour starting this Friday 27th - Monday March 2nd. Plan accordingly if you have to travel on Highway 45 this weekend.

NCDOT and Fred Smith Company are planning to close NC 45 from Sans Souci Rd to NC 308 Cooper Hill Rd starting Friday night February 27 at 6PM. This work will be to continue crossline pipe replacement and NC 45 will be reopened by Monday Morning March 2 at 6AM.

A sign detour will direct traffic from NC 45 to Sans Souci Rd, to NC 308, back to NC 45.

Residential traffic will be allowed into the closure up to the location of the work.

02/24/2026

These new photos give a whole different perspective of the magnitude this event was.

02/22/2026

2/22/2026 5:23pm EST

We are deeply saddened to confirm that the associate who was unaccounted for following Saturday’s explosion at our Cofield, North Carolina facility has died. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family, friends, and loved ones. This is an incredibly difficult moment for them and for many across our company, and we are providing support as they grieve this loss.

We are grateful to the first responders who acted quickly and professionally, and we are cooperating fully with local authorities as they investigate what happened. Our focus remains on the safety of our people and supporting those affected.

02/22/2026

02/22/2026

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families involved as well as the multiple agencies on scene. 

02/21/2026

Around 3:00 a.m., North Carolina Emergency Management requested our USAR team respond to an explosion and collapse of an 8-story grain tower in Hertford County with reports of people trapped or missing.

We immediately deployed NC Task Force 10, comprised of members of Greenville Fire/Rescue and New Bern Fire/Rescue and currently have 24 member Type IV team on site conducting search operations for one confirmed worker who was inside the building at the time of the collapse. Our personnel are also assisting the local fire department with search operations and logistical support. A medical specialist is also embedded with our team to ensure the safety of our members during operations.

Please keep everyone involved in your thoughts as this complex operation continues. We will provide updates as information becomes available.

02/09/2026

02/01/2026

Moderate to heavy snow continues to fall across extreme SE VA and NE NC this evening. This band of snow has remained nearly stationary and will likely remain in place for the next couple of hours. Farther inland, snow is beginning to taper of as drier air moves in.

02/01/2026

The winter storm continues tonight before tapering off by Sunday morning. Latest guidance and observational trends have continued to decrease snowfall totals across portions of central VA and the Lower MD Eastern Shore. As such, Winter Weather Advisories have been trimmed there. However, portions of NE NC and perhaps far SE VA are still likely to see snowfall totals of 4-8 inches with locally higher totals possible. Snowfall totals taper off quickly to the north with 1-2 inches possible in the Winter Weather Advisory area and less than 1 inch outside of the winter weather headline areas.

01/31/2026

Here is the latest forecast for snowfall totals for this weekend's storm. 8-10" are forecast for the far southeast coast. A tight gradient in totals is expected on the northwest edge of snowfall. Whiteout conditions are possible along the coast Saturday night.