By Bryan Mims, WRAL reporter Smithfield, N.C. — Ava Gardner, one of the brightest stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age, was a North Carolina girl. She grew up among the tobacco farms of Johnston County. Smithfield celebrates its homegrown movie star with a museum downtown. The Ava Gardner Museum has managed to stay afloat during the pandemic — only to be shut down by a flood. On the silver screen, in that Golden Age, Ava Gardner…

DETROIT — Nino Niederreiter scored early in the first period and Petr Mrazek had to make just 14 saves for a shutout, helping the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-0 Thursday night in the season opener for both teams. Ryan Ddzingel scored on a power play with 2:34 left and Andrei Svechnikov added an empty-net goal. Detroit goalie Thomas Greiss made only one save before he gave up a goal, but he stopped…

BILLINGS, Mont. — Wildfire smoke accounted for up to half of all health-damaging small particle air pollution in the western U.S. in recent years as warming temperatures fueled more destructive blazes, according to a study released Monday. Even as pollution emissions declined from other sources including vehicle exhaust and power plants, the amount from fires increased sharply, said researchers at Stanford University and the University of California, San Diego. The findings underscore the growing public…

The National Cemetery in Raleigh has a major problem. When it rains, dozens of headstones are swamped with water and mud.

On a scrap of land surrounded by flooding in South Sudan, families drink and bathe from the waters that swept away latrines and continue to rise.

CLAYTON, N.C. (WTVD) — Health administrators and physicians across North Carolina on Tuesday warned that hospitals are on the precipice of exceeding capacity as the holiday surge of COVID-19 pummels the state. “The issue is staffing,” Dr. Rodney McCaskill, Chief Medical Officer at UNC Hospital in Clayton, told ABC11. “There are not enough nurses or respiratory therapists for beds. The patients coming in are much sicker than what we saw before COVID, and COVID illness…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — Christmas Eve was a busy day of weather watches and warnings across central and eastern North Carolina. Wake county was under a severe thunderstorm warning until 10 p.m. on Thursday night. Winds of up to 60 mph were possible as a band of storms bringing heavy rain and strong winds moved east. Much of the Triangle is also still under a flood advisory until midnight. Some areas…

RALEIGH (WTVD) — As strong storms move through central North Carolina, several weather alerts are active. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings all along the I-95 Corridor. Tornado Warnings have expired but still some rotation is visible. We might see another isolated tornado in the next hour or so along this line. pic.twitter.com/RR5oz3dVvN — Brittany Bell (@BrittanyABC11) December 24, 2020 Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Edgecombe, Halifax and Nash until 5:45 p.m. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings are in effect for…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — The Triangle saw gusty winds and downpours through mid-day on Christmas Eve, while tornado warnings popped up to the south. Just after 4 p.m., nine counties were under severe weather alert warnings. Much of the eastern half of the state, including Wake and Johnston counties, is under a tornado watch – which means conditions are right for tornadoes to form – through 10 p.m. At 4 p.m.,…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — The Triangle saw gusty winds and downpours through mid-day on Christmas Eve, while tornado warnings popped up to the south. Just after 4 p.m., nine counties were under severe weather alert warnings. Much of the eastern half of the state, including Wake and Johnston counties, is under a tornado watch – which means conditions are right for tornadoes to form – through 10 p.m. At 4 p.m.,…

RALEIGH (WTVD) — As strong storms move through central North Carolina, several severe weather alerts are active. A Tornado Warning has been issued for Sampson, Edgecombe, Nash and Wilson counties until 4:30 p.m. A Tornado Warning has been issued for Cumberland, Sampson, Edgecombe, Johnston, Nash, Wayne and Wilson counties until 4:30 p.m. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect for Franklin, Johnston and Wake until 4:15 p.m. A Tornado Warning has been issued for Johnston,…

RALEIGH (WTVD) — As strong storms move through central North Carolina, several severe weather alerts are active. A Tornado Warning has been issued for Cumberland, Sampson, Edgecombe, Johnston, Nash, Wayne and Wilson counties until 4:30 p.m. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect for Franklin, Johnston and Wake until 4:15 p.m. A Tornado Warning has been issued for Johnston, Sampson and Wayne counties until 4:00 p.m. A Tornado Warning is in effect for Johnston and…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — The Triangle saw gusty winds and downpours through mid-day on Christmas Eve, while tornado warnings popped up to the south. Much of the eastern half of the state, including Wake and Johnston counties, is under a tornado watch – which means conditions are right for tornadoes to form – through 10 p.m. Just before 3 p.m., a warning was issued, meaning tornado conditions were detected by radar,…

RALEIGH (WTVD) — As strong storms move through central North Carolina, several severe weather alerts are active. Tornado Warning is in effect for Johnston; Wayne counties until 4:00 p.m. A Tornado Warning is in effect for parts of Sampson, Wayne and Johnston counties until 3:15 p.m. Another Tornado Warning is in effect for parts of Sampson County until 3:30 p.m. A Tornado Watch has been issued for Cumberland, Edgecombe, Franklin, Halifax, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Nash,…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — The Triangle saw gusty winds and downpours through mid-day on Christmas Eve, while tornado warnings popped up to the south. Much of the eastern half of the state, including Wake and Johnston counties, is under a tornado watch – which means conditions are right for tornadoes to form – through 10 p.m. Just before 3 p.m., a warning was issued, meaning tornado conditions were detected by radar,…

Two tornado warnings are in effect for southeastern parts of central North Carolina.

Much of the eastern half of the state, including Wake and Johnston counties, is under a tornado watch – which means conditions are right for tornadoes to form – through 10 p.m.

RALEIGH (WTVD) — A tornado watch has been issued for Cumberland, Edgecombe, Franklin, Halifax, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Nash, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Wake, Warren, Wayne and Wilson counties until 10 p.m. Thursday evening. Mother Nature is putting some coal in our stockings with this Christmas Eve forecast. We will see a significant system swing through this afternoon and evening. Ahead of it, the warm air will surge into North Carolina and we get temps that are…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — The Triangle is preparing for the possibility of severe storms, gusty winds and even a tornado threat for Christmas Eve. “Damaging wind gusts and tornadoes will be possible from 2 to 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve,” said WRAL meteorologist Peta Sheerwood. On Thursday, the Triangle is under a Level 2 risk for severe weather, and counties east of Raleigh, including the coast, are under a Level 3…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — To top off 2020, the Triangle could see severe weather, isolated tornados and damaging winds on Christmas Eve. The Triangle is under a Level 1 risk for storms and counties east of Raleigh are under a Level 2 risk for severe storms on Thursday. The greatest threat for our area is damaging wind gusts during the storms. The Triangle could see some “supercells,” or rotating thunderstorms on…

By Lora Lavigne, WRAL Durham reporter Durham, N.C. — Known for staying open through hurricanes to serve “good food fast,” overnight business at Waffle House has been very slow since North Carolina imposed a nightly curfew last week to curb the spread of coronavirus. People are allowed to get food during the 10 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew, but Fred Anton, senior vice president of restaurant operations for Waffle House, said he’s already seen a drop in…