WNC-- January 24, 2026: When the grid goes down in the mountains, digital apps and cell towers often fail. In these moments, your best defense is a battery-powered radio and a clear list of frequencies.
Pro-Tip: The "Paper Backup"
During a "Grid Down" situation, your phone may not work to look up this list. We strongly recommend printing this article or writing these frequencies on a piece of paper and taping it directly to the back of your emergency radio.
1. Regional NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies
Program these three stations into your weather radio. Depending on which ridge you are behind, one will always come in clearer than the others:
162.400 MHz (WXL56): Central Mountains (Asheville, Waynesville, Hendersonville, Marshall).
162.450 MHz (WNG538): Northern Mountains (Boone, Jefferson, Banner Elk).
162.475 MHz (KXI75): Far Western Mountains (Murphy, Robbinsville, Hayesville).
2. Amateur (Ham) Radio Emergency Frequencies
The Far West (Cherokee, Graham, Clay, & Macon)
Murphy / Andrews: 147.045 MHz (151.4 PL)
Franklin: 147.240 MHz (151.4 PL) — Franklin Amateur Radio Club
Cowee Bald (Wide Area): 145.490 MHz (167.9 PL)
Robbinsville: 151.130 MHz
Hayesville: 154.310 MHz
The Central Mountains (Haywood, Buncombe, & Madison)
Waynesville / Canton: 147.390 MHz (94.8 PL) — Chambers Mountain
Asheville: 146.910 MHz (91.5 PL) — Spivey Mountain (Buncombe ARES)
Mt. Pisgah (Wide Area): 146.760 MHz
Mars Hill / Marshall: 147.180 MHz (94.8 PL) — Wolf Ridge
The Southern Mountains (Henderson, Transylvania, Jackson, & Polk)
Hendersonville / Fletcher: 146.640 MHz (91.5 PL) — Bearwallow Mountain
Brevard: 147.135 MHz — Pinnacle Mountain
Sylva: 146.900 MHz (123.0 PL)
Cashiers / Highlands: 145.350 MHz (100.0 PL)
Tryon / Columbus: 147.120 MHz
The Northern Mountains & High Country (Watauga, Avery, Ashe, Mitchell, & Yancey)
Boone / Blowing Rock: 146.850 MHz
Banner Elk / Sugar Mtn: 442.175 MHz (206.5 PL)
West Jefferson: 147.300 MHz (103.5 PL) — Phoenix Mountain
Spruce Pine / Bakersville: 145.310 MHz
Burnsville / Mt. Mitchell: 145.190 MHz — The "Granddaddy" Repeater (covers all WNC)
The Foothills (McDowell, Burke, & Caldwell)
Marion / Old Fort: 147.150 MHz
Morganton: 146.745 MHz (94.8 PL)
Lenoir: 146.625 MHz (94.8 PL)
3. Universal Emergency Channels
If you cannot reach any of the local repeaters above, use these direct "Simplex" channels:
146.520 MHz: The National Calling Frequency. This is where most radio operators will go if the towers fail.
AM 1310 (WISE): Good for local sports and talk updates in the Asheville area.
FM 105.9 (The Mountain): Reliable for local news and rock hits during outages.
Stay safe, stay warm, and keep your batteries charged
WNCTimes