65 years ago Tuesday, Hurricane Hazel was etched in North Carolina lore forever. Hazel began in the Carribean Sea and strengthened to a category 4 storm. It crossed over Haiti and caused massive destruction. Hitting land caused it to weaken some, but the storm restrengthened over tropical waters. It made landfall on Oct. 15 near the North Carolina/South Carolina border as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 140 miles per hour and a…

Call it “a bunch of jerks” meets a bunch of hunks. If you want a lasting memory of when the Backstreet Boys came to Raleigh, you can now bid on the Carolina Hurricanes jerseys they wore during the show. When the group played at PNC Arena in August, they wore personalized jerseys with the number 19. Proceeds from the auction go to the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation. You can place a bid here. The auction ends…

By KAORI HITOMI and MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press KAWAGOE, Japan — After the worst of Typhoon Hagibis passed over this town north of Tokyo, Kazuo Saito made sure there was no water outside his house and went to bed. He woke up a few times throughout the night to check, but by the time he woke for good on Sunday morning, the view outside his window was almost unrecognizable. “There was a huge river flowing…

By Peta Sheerwood, WRAL meteorologist Raleigh, N.C. — A round of much-needed rain will arrive Sunday afternoon then leave before returning in the middle of the work week and bringing us much cooler temperatures. The lower half of Wake County and other counties south of the Triangle are under a level 1 risk for severe weather Sunday. The chance for rain and some storms is greatest Sunday afternoon and evening, with some rain also falling…

By CHRISTOPHER WEBER and MICHAEL R. BLOOD, Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Three people have died at the scene of Southern California wildfires this week, authorities said Saturday, as firefighters aided by diminishing winds beat back a blaze on the edge of Los Angeles that damaged or destroyed more than 30 structures and sent a blanket of smoke across a swath of neighborhoods. Los Angeles officials said the fire in the city’s San Fernando Valley…

MIAMI — A late-season tropical storm has formed off the coast of Massachusetts but is expected to weaken as it moves away from the U.S. The Hurricane Center in Miami says Tropical Storm Melissa poses minor to moderate coastal flooding at high tide along some portions of the Mid-Atlantic and southeastern coasts throughout the weekend. On Saturday afternoon, Melissa had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph), with higher gusts, and was located about…

By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer WASHINGTON — Expect more preventative power blackouts in California as the climate gets hotter and drier and the wildfire season gets nastier and longer, scientists say. The Golden State already is fire-prone with lots of dry plants and woodlands — but add high winds that can knock down power lines or cause them to spark, then watch out, wildfire experts say. The darker outlook hits close to home for…

To avoid breathing wildfire smoke, it’s important to have the right gear. Dust masks, bandanas and damp pieces of cloth won’t adequately protect you from inhaling fine particulate matter like PM2.5. “The tiny particles in the smoke and any other kind of PM2.5 can filter down into your lungs and get into your bloodstream,” according to AccuWeather meteorologist Faith Eherts. Experts recommend that you stick with masks specifically made to keep you safe. “The big…

By Dakin Andone, CNN CNN — The fall nor’easter spinning southeast of New England strengthened into Subtropical Storm Melissa on Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center. At 11 a.m. ET, the storm was about 190 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, with maximum sustain winds of 65 mph. Despite the change in the storm’s status, its impacts are expected to remain the same. That means wind gusts up to 50 mph and coastal flooding from…

By STEFANIE DAZIO and JOHN ANTCZAK, Associated Press LOS ANGELES — A wildfire raged out of control along the northern edge of Los Angeles early Friday, forcing thousands of people from their homes as firefighters battled flames from the air and on the ground. Police Chief Michel Moore said mandatory evacuations encompassed about 100,000 people in over 20,000 homes. Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said the fire had grown to more than 7 square miles (18…

Kinston, N.C. — Kinston chef and PBS star Vivian Howard is raising money to help an Ocracoke restaurant recover from Hurricane Dorian. Howard, host of the award-winning PBS show, “​A Chef’s Life​,” is selling super soft gray short sleeve shirts emblazoned with the saying “One Island Under Tacos” on her website to benefit Eduardo Chavez’s beloved Ocracoke establishment ​Eduardo’s​ taco stand. As the eye of Hurricane Dorian moved past Ocracoke, a barrier island 26 miles…

By Gilbert Baez, WRAL reporter Fairmont, N.C. — It’s been three years since Hurricane Matthew left a trail of destruction in North Carolina, and one of the hardest hit areas was Robeson County. On Wednesday, some residents in the county were able to show off their new homes that have been erected in the storm’s wake. Residents who survived that storm on Oct 8, 2016 say it is a day they’ll never forget. Hurricane Matthew…

RALEIGH (WTVD) — A Raleigh man plans to use his lottery winnings to help those devastated by Hurricane Dorian. Jerry Wood won $100,000, no doubt a stroke of good fortune. However, he knows there are less fortunate in the state who are still recovering from the storm. With his newfound winnings, Wood feels compelled to help. “There’s a lot of people out on Ocracoke Island that still need help,” Wood said. “We were able to…

By Deborah Strange, WRAL digital journalist Raleigh, N.C. — A Raleigh construction worker plans to use his $100,000 winning lottery ticket to help victims of Hurricane Dorian. Jerry Wood bought a Mega Cash scratch-off ticket for $20 on Tuesday at the Quality Food Mart on South Main Street in Wake Forest. After taxes, he took home $70,756. He said he plans to spend part of that helping people on Ocracoke Island, which experienced severe flooding…

SAN FRANCISCO, California — Bottled water and batteries were flying off the shelves at California stores as millions of customers prepared to live without electricity for days in the face of what Pacific Gas & Electric called an unprecedented wildfire danger. The utility announced that it was shutting off power to 800,000 customers in 34 northern, central and coastal California counties beginning as early as midnight Wednesday to reduce the chance of fierce winds knocking…

SUNRISE, Fla. (WTVD) — The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Florida Panthers 6-3 on Tuesday night to start the season 4-0 for the first time in franchise history. The Canes dominated the first period against the Panthers, putting up four goals on 13 shots. James Reimer had 47 saves. Tuesday’s game was the Canes only visit to the BB&T Center this regular season and they made the most of it, jumping out early and never looking…

CUMBERLAND COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) — On Oct. 8, 2016, one of the most devastating hurricanes in history made landfall north of Charleston, South Carolina. Hurricane Matthew grew to a Category 5 storm and made landfall in Haiti and Cuba as a major hurricane. The storm then moved toward Florida and turned north, following the coastline until it made landfall as a Category 1 storm in South Carolina. The storm directly caused 34 deaths in the…