Month: November 2018

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. — Multiple fires have burned tens of thousands of acres throughout Southern California. The Woolsey Fire is burning in parts of Los Angeles County and Ventura County, including Thousand Oaks, where 12 people were killed in a nightclub shooting on Nov. 7. Late on Nov. 13, a brush fire, dubbed the Sierra Fire, flared up in Rialto in San Bernardino County. Though the fire quickly grew to 20 acres, shortly after it…

Central North Carolina is not nearly done with rain yet, National Weather Service forecasters said Wednesday, as they predicted up to 2 more inches and posted a flood watch for the region. Similar cautions were posted for western and northeast North Carolina, central South Carolina, and parts of Maryland and Georgia. The amount of rain recently has saturated the ground. Creeks, streams and rivers are already running high, the weather service office in Raleigh said….

Central North Carolina is not nearly done with rain yet, National Weather Service forecasters said Wednesday as they predicted up to 2 more inches and posted a flood watch for the region. Similar cautions were posted for western and northeast North Carolina, central South Carolina, and parts of Maryland and Georgia. The amount of rain recently has saturated the ground, and creeks, streams and rivers are already running high, the weather service office in Raleigh,…

By Mike Moss and Elizabeth Gardner, WRAL meteorologists Raleigh, N.C. — You might see some sprinkles or light showers during the morning commute, but compared to the rest of this week, Wednesday will be mostly clear. According to WRAL meteorologist Mike Moss, most of the sprinkles will diminish by 9 or 10 a.m., but the day will stay cloudy and cool with temperatures in the 40s. After an overcast day, persistent rain will return for…

A message board at a shelter for the many people who fled California’s deadliest wildfire is filled with photos of the missing, as well as pleas for any information about relatives and friends. “I hope you are okay,” reads one hand written note on the board filled with white and yellow sheets of notebook paper. Another had a picture of a missing man: “If seen, please have him call.” Authorities on Tuesday reported six more…

CUMBERLAND COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) — Hurricane Florence is threatening to be the Grinch for some local families this Christmas. Toys for Tots in Cumberland County is partnering with Robeson County this year because more families are in need of toys this holiday season. “Thanksgiving is next week. I honestly have no idea where we’re going to eat dinner at right now. Christmas is six Saturdays away I think it is,” said Spring Lake resident Cassidy…

Ernest Foss was a musician who gave lessons out of his home when he lived in San Francisco, where an amplifier that ran the length of a wall served as the family’s living room couch. Carl Wiley refurbished tires for Michelin. Jesus Fernandez, known as “Zeus,” was described as a loving father and loyal friend. They were among the first victims identified in the aftermath of the deadliest, most destructive wildfire in California history, an…

The Latest on wildfires in California (all times local): 5:45 p.m. Victims of California’s most destructive wildfire have filed a lawsuit accusing Pacific Gas & Electric Co. of causing the massive blaze. The suit filed Tuesday in state court in California accuses the utility of failing to maintain its infrastructure and properly inspect and manage its power transmission lines. The utility’s president said earlier the company doesn’t know what caused the fire, but is cooperating…

Phillies manager Gabe Kapler is among the homeowners who lost their house in Southern California’s wildfires. Kapler told The Athletic his ex-wife and two sons lived in the Malibu house and evacuated last week. A friend sent him photos over the weekend showing only a steel staircase remained of the property, about a mile from the Pacific Ocean. Kapler moved to Philadelphia after the Phillies hired him last October, but kept the house for his…

Authorities doing the somber work of identifying the victims of California’s deadliest wildfire are drawing on leading-edge DNA technology, but older scientific techniques and deduction could also come into play, experts say. With the death toll from the Northern California blaze topping 40 and expected to rise, officials said they were setting up a rapid DNA-analysis system, among other steps. Rapid DNA is a term for portable devices that can identify someone’s genetic material in…

By Bryan Mims, WRAL reporter Elizabethtown, N.C. — Two months after Hurricane Florence made landfall, a logjam created from debris is still pushing against a major bridge in Elizabethtown. Under the bridge, the water contains shattered trees and trash. And debris has accumulated in the aftermath of the storm. The logjam formed in the Cape Fear River at Elizabethtown and has raised concerns in the community about the safety of the bridge. “I’ve never seen…

HOPE MILLS, N.C. (WTVD) — Hurricane Florence was probably the last time you saw minor to moderate flooding but unfortunately, Alexander Moore is used to it. “I’ve been here 16 years and every time we get a big rain, the water just settles here,” said Moore. During Hurricane Florence and Matthew, Moore suffered several feet of flood waters and with only three and a half inches of rain this week alone, it won’t be long…