Month: November 2018

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Tyler Butler-Figueroa didn’t have to pull any strings to perform the national anthem at the Carolina Hurricanes game Friday night. The 11-year-old solo violinist is performing at PNC Arena as a part of the Hockey Fights Cancer night. “It is very exciting and I’m not really nervous,” Tyler said. “I just block out everyone else, and I just think of the song.” Butler-Figueroa was diagnosed with leukemia at age 4. He…

The deadline for South Carolina residents impacted by Hurricane Florence to apply for federal assistance is Wednesday, Dec. 5. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved assistance to nearly 5,000 applicants for $21.1 million statewide, including nearly $13.5 million in Horry County. The assistance is available for home damages sustained from the hurricane between Sept. 8 and Oct. 8. FEMA spokeswoman Cheria Brown noted that 2,749 applicants from Horry County have been denied as of…

After fleeing a wildfire that came dangerously close to his Northern California home earlier this month, Dale Word evacuated again when flash floods inundated roads and trapped motorists and residents. Swift water teams used boats to make rescues at three homes and officials told people in about 100 vehicles to stay in place. The rain receded late Thursday afternoon, leaving a mess of sticky mud and debris. Downed trees and power poles littered the landscape….

By Candace Sweat, WRAL reporter Lillington, N.C. — North Carolina lawmakers on Thursday unanimously approved nearly $300 million in additional state spending to aid in Hurricane Florence recovery as local business owners asses what it will take for things to return to normal. Ilia Smirnov has a prime location for his restaurant and canoe rental business, right off the Cape Fear River. The location can also be the source of anxiety when a storm is…

A Northern California sheriff’s office released harrowing body camera footage of a deputy who was nearly overrun by flames as he helped with evacuations the night the deadly Camp Fire swept through Paradise. Butte County Sheriff’s Deputy Aaron Parmley was searching for a group of stranded nurses when he was forced to abandon his vehicle and continue the search on foot surrounded by flames. As smoke blackened the sky, Parmley activated his body camera thinking…

As thousands of people continue to recover from Hurricane Florence, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina’s services are in high-demand. “We’ve had 22 of our 34 counties were federal disaster areas after Florence, so many many of those are still hurting,” explained Jennifer Caslin, who works with the Food Bank. Since the week following Hurricane Florence, they’ve provided more than 5.5 million pounds of food to storm victims. On top of that,…

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — By all accounts, Scott Darling seems like a nice guy and his backstory is the kind of stuff that makes you pull a little harder for him to succeed. We’ll have to root for him elsewhere, because the Scott Darling experiment, barely 18 months old, is over in Raleigh. Darling was waived Thursday by the Hurricanes, who decided, with the help of all empirical evidence, that they’re far better off taking…

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — A bill approving a $299 million Hurricane Florence relief package passed the North Carolina General Assembly on Thursday. The bill unanimously passed the House, sending it to Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk for final approval. “Once again, we had a historic natural disaster for this state, we have had a historic response in this state,” said senior House Appropriations Chairman Nelson Dollar, R-Wake. The bill includes some of the following: $25 million…

The Scott Darling era isn’t necessarily over. He may very well go to Charlotte, rediscover his form, put together a run of solid games and return to the Carolina Hurricanes for his eighth or ninth (or whatever it is now) chance in net. It’s possible. But we can finally dispose of any notion that there’s a great goalie somewhere inside him, waiting to emerge under the right circumstances, who has been unjustly let down by…

WASHINGTON (WTVD) — North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper is doubling down on his efforts to draw significant support from the federal government for hurricane relief and is requesting an additional $6.3 billion from Congress to help in the recovery. The formal request, submitted on Wednesday, follows a series of meetings on Capitol Hill with North Carolina’s congressional delegation and members of the Trump administration. “North Carolina has much work to do to build back stronger…

The Scott Darling saga took another turn Thursday, as the Carolina Hurricanes placed the goalie on NHL waivers, general manager Don Waddell said. If Darling clears waivers at noon Friday, he will be assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League. Darling is in the second year of a four-year contract that pays him $4.15 million a year. The former Chicago Blackhawks backup goalie, obtained by Carolina in a 2017 trade, had a…

RALEIGH (WTVD) — As many North Carolina families rebuild their lives from the devastation caused by Hurricane Florence, a new holiday toy drive is underway for children affected by the storm. North Carolina first lady Kristin Cooper and the State Capitol have teamed up with Toys for Tots to collect toys for kids impacted by Florence in the eastern part of the state. You can participate by donating new, unwrapped toys at any area drop-off…

A storm moving into California on Thursday brought rain that threatened to unleash debris flows in wildfire burn areas and snow that could cause travel problems in the Sierra Nevada. A watershed emergency response team worked in the area of Paradise to identify spots that could be prone to flash floods and mudslides. Crews cleared drainage ways and removed burned trees that could topple, said Butte County spokeswoman Callie Lutz. The town of 27,000 has…

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Wednesday is a somber anniversary marking 30 years since the Raleigh F4 touched down. The tornado touched down around 1 a.m. on Nov. 28, 1988, taking many by surprise. The twister claimed four lives including two children. It also left 157 people injured. The twister stayed on the ground for a total of 84 miles. It initially touched down in Wake County at Umstead State Park, where it reached its maximum…

By Natalie Matthews, WRAL digital journalist Raleigh, N.C. — Wednesday marks the 30th anniversary of a fatal overnight tornado in Raleigh. On November 28, 1988, a single deadly tornado touched down in Raleigh just after midnight. The tornado killed four people, including two children, in Raleigh and injured more than 150 people. The tornado reached maximum intensity of EF-4 strength in northwestern and northern parts of Raleigh and remained on the ground for 84 miles….

One of North Carolina’s most catastrophic hurricane seasons is coming to an end this week. While recovery continues for the most affected areas, we must also remember that this will happen again. We cannot predict exactly when or where future storms will hit, but we do know that climate change will make catastrophic storms more frequent and more damaging. Last month, North Carolina lawmakers approved $800 million for storm recovery. That money comes from taxpayers…

Officials say large swaths of northeast Australia are enduring unprecedented fire danger, with 138 wildfires across Queensland state forcing schools to be closed and thousands of homes to be evacuated. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the fire danger on Wednesday was rated catastrophic in areas of central Queensland, the first time the highest danger rating has been applied to the state. She says 34 schools have been closed in the most threatened regions. Queensland Fire…

Curtis McElhinney stopped 48 shots and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Canadiens 2-1 on Tuesday night in Shea Weber’s return from injury for Montreal. Victor Rask and Trevor van Riemsdyk scored for the Hurricanes, who have won four of five. McElhinney, who’s emerging as the top goaltender in Carolina, made 21 saves in the third period alone for his fourth straight victory. Phillip Danault scored for the Canadiens, who extended their losing streak to five…

By Gilbert Baez, WRAL reporter Lumberton, N.C. — Lumberton homeowner Susan Hayes would have set up her Christmas tree beside her fireplace this year. But her home was destroyed by Hurricanes Florence and Matthew, so her tree will be set up two hours away in Rocky Mount. Two years ago, Hurricane Matthew brought 8 inches of water into her home on Tartan Road and chased Hayes to higher ground. Two months ago, Hurricane Florence dumped…

OAK PARK, Calif. — An Oak Park homeowner watched helplessly through her security camera as flames from the Woolsey Fire began to envelop her house – until a heroic firefighter jumped into action. Courtney McClain kept an eye on her home by watching footage from her Ring camera through her phone. VIDEO: Woman drives through flames to flee wildfire in MalibuAs flames surrounded her house, she spotted a firefighter, braving his way through the inferno…

An increasingly fierce debate about how to prevent deadly wildfires in California is threatening to endanger crucial crop insurance for farmers in Kansas and Missouri. In the wake of wildfires that killed at least 88 people this month, President Donald Trump’s administration is pressuring Congress to include provisions in the farm policy bill that would roll back regulations on forest-thinning projects — a move the administration says would save lives and property. “We cannot waste…

Dennis Dickey found out that he is expecting a boy, but the way he decided to get that information is going to cost him. The U.S. Forest Service released video Tuesday of the explosive stunt that ignited the deadly Sawmill wildfire in Arizona last year. Dickey has admitted in court that his gender reveal party was not just the spark, but the booming explosion that caused the fire to erupt in April 2017, according to…

TUCSON, Ariz. — A wildfire in southern Arizona started when an off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent shot at a target to reveal a baby’s gender. The 2017 fire near Green Valley burned 73 square miles (190 square kilometers) of state and federal land. The damage and firefighting costs topped $8 million. A video released Monday by the U.S. Forest Service shows the target explode after being hit with gunfire, sending a blue substance into the…

Florida authorities have linked more deaths to Hurricane Michael, raising the state’s death toll to 43.

Authorities say a wildfire has destroyed at least four homes, forced the evacuation of hundreds of others and razed 20,000 hectares (49,000 acres) of farmland and woodland in heatwave conditions in northeast Australia. Gladstone Region Mayor Matt Burnett said Tuesday that police have been knocking on doors of homes in the small rural communities of Baffle Creek, Deepwater, Oyster Creek and Rules Beach in Queensland state to advise residents to evacuate but some are refusing….

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) — Hundreds of North Carolina families who were hit hard by Hurricane Florence say they have been victimized again by home repair and debris removal rip-offs. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein said his office is investigating 850 price gouging complaints related to Hurricane Florence. Stein visited Fayetteville on Monday to warn residents in the hurricane zone to beware of scams related to price gouging, home repairs, tree removal, donating to charities…

Fayetteville, N.C. — Hurricane Florence impacted people in 34 of the state’s 100 counties. On Monday, the North Carolina Attorney General said those affected could become victims again – of post-hurricane scams. FEMA and other agencies have given home and business owners millions of dollars to help them with repairs. So far, Attorney General Josh Stein said there have been 850 complaints related to price gouging, including home repairs and tree removals. Of those, 30…

LUMBERTON, N.C. (WTVD) — One Lumberton organization is calling on the community to help after families displaced by Hurricane Florence, and living in motels, are now in jeopardy of becoming homeless. “Everyday is like D-Day for people living in motels,” said Randy Lewis of Christian Outreach Center. This is why Connie Blackman has kept her U-Haul trailer packed with her belongings. There’s not much room for them inside her tiny motel room at Motel 6….