Snowfall overnight Thursday punctuated a week already saturated with rain in Western North Carolina, causing floods and mudslides throughout Haywood County.

While it’s nearly impossible to predict where a landslide will occur, Greg Shuping, emergency management director for the county, said there are trigger areas emergency crews always pay close attention to.

One of those is Rich Cove Road in Maggie Valley, where a landslide damaged homes and forced evacuation in 2010.

Part of that section did slide onto the road Thursday, but a sediment pond built by NCDOT three years ago helped prevent further sliding and it was quickly cleaned up by NCDOT crews.

When rain turned to sleet and heavy snow Thursday night, emergency officials opened an emergency shelter at the Department of Social Services ...