Month: May 2019

By Alfred Charles, WRAL.com managing editor Raleigh, N.C. — The National Weather Service has placed much of the Triangle under a Level 3 risk for storms this afternoon, turbulent weather that will snap the streak of long, dry hot days that have blanketed the region. A tornado warning has been issued for northwestern Alamance County in central North Carolina. and northeastern Guilford County in central North Carolina. Residents there were urged to take cover. The…

By ANDREW DeMILLO and JILL BLEED, Associated Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Relentless flooding persisted in the nation’s midsection Friday, sending communities underwater and damaging or overtopping levees on three major rivers in two states. The fast-flowing Arkansas River smashed a 40-foot hole in a levee in rural western Arkansas, causing water to spill into a nearby community. In northeast Missouri, a levee was overtopped on the Mississippi River, and another levee was topped on…

RALEIGH (WTVD) — Duke Energy says they’re prepared for hurricane season with new technology that will keep you from being without power for long. “You can imagine when you’re in a storm–this area just becomes really crazy with all the outages they’re managing,” said Jeff Brooks, communications manager with Duke Energy. In the control center, dispatchers will immediately be alerted to an outage and the call goes out, which dispatches a crew to fix the…

By The Associated Press The annual start of hurricane season casts a shadow of dread over coastal sections of the United States. People fret over the next Big One, even as communities struggle to recover from the last one. For some communities, the devastation remains an open wound, as in Florida’s Panama City, slammed by Hurricane Michael in October. Even years later, many towns still bear the scars, physical or psychological. PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA With…

How to protect your home from wildfires Use these tips to improve the odds that your home will survive a wildfire. By × Use these tips to improve the odds that your home will survive a wildfire. By The hot, dry weather over the last week led to 50 fires across South Carolina on Wednesday and Thursday, according to state officials. The S.C Forestry Commission put out a Red Flag Fire Alert Wednesday until further…

By Alfred Charles, WRAL.com managing editor Raleigh, N.C. — The National Weather Service has placed much of the Triangle under a Level 3 risk for storms this afternoon, turbulent weather that will snap the streak of long, dry hot days that have blanketed the region. The elevated risk includes Wake and Chatham counties as well as areas to the south and east of those counties. “It’s fairly unusual for us to see a Level 3…

Raleigh, N.C. — The National Weather Service has placed much of the Triangle under a Level 3 risk for storms this afternoon, turbulent weather that will snap the streak of long, dry hot days that have blanketed the region. “These are storms we’ll want to take more seriously,” WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said, adding that gusty winds, downpours and the risk of a tornado watch being issued are possible. Western areas are under a level…

With some heat moving out, will storms move in? Check out the ABC11 weather forecast for Friday and the weekend for Raleigh, Durham and central NC. By × Check out the ABC11 weather forecast for Friday and the weekend for Raleigh, Durham and central NC. By Raleigh The Triangle could see severe weather starting Friday afternoon, bringing threats of damaging winds and hail. Strong storms are predicted from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. for Wake,…

Florence Welch performs at Spectrum Center on Wednesday night. Benjamin Robson There’s a lot going on this week. Here’s your cheat sheet of can’t-miss events around town. “Cats” The beloved musical known for its magnificent music (think: “Memory”) by famed composer Andrew Lloyd Weber and based on “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot features new sound design, direction and choreography for a new generation of audiences. Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham. June…

Traffic moves over the I-540 bridge as the Arkansas River floods along Adams Street Thursday, May 30, 2019, in Van Buren, Ark. Michael Woods AP Photo DARDANELLE, Ark. Officials say a levee along the Arkansas River has breached, prompting an evacuation of a rural area in the western part of the state. The levee breached early Friday at Dardanelle, about 60 miles (95 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock. Yell County officials had anticipated the breach…

In this Wednesday, May. 29, 2019 photo, floodwaters from the Mississippi River inundate a railway yard in Quincy, Ill. Quincy Herald-Whig via AP Jake Shane SPRINGFIELD, Ill. About 200 Illinois National Guard members have been deployed along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers to assist with flood and levee monitoring. Noting Thursday that many rivers in Illinois are flooded, Gov. J.B. Pritzker says there’s a multi-agency effort underway to address the “grave” situation. Pritzker says other…

By Elizabeth Gardner, WRAL meteorologist Raleigh, N.C. — After a string of hot but quiet days, the Triangle and eastern areas are under a slight risk for severe storms on Friday. Durham, Raleigh, Fayetteville and eastward are under a level 2 risk for severe weather as a cold front moves in. Those areas could see damaging winds, lighting and some hail, meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said. Western areas are under a level 1 risk, or marginal…

RALEIGH (WTVD) — Relief from recent heat is on the way; however, it may be accompanied by some severe weather. Big Weather said thunderstorms are possible Friday afternoon and evening. ABC11 is in First Alert Mode as areas in and east of the Triangle are under a slight risk for severe weather, while parts of the Sandhills are at a marginal risk. We are under a marginal and slight (Categories 1 & 2) risk for…

In this combination of photos, homes line a street on Oct. 12, 2018, top, following devastation from Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., and on May 3, 2019. (AP Photos) AP Crews with bulldozers and dump trucks have removed tons of debris from the Florida Panhandle since Hurricane Michael slammed ashore in October, wrecking miles of homes and businesses, yet signs of the storm’s fury remain everywhere as hurricane season approaches. Recovery is coming along…

FILE – In this Nov. 9, 2018 file photo, Pacific Gas & Electric crews work to restore power lines in Paradise, Calif. Pacific, Gas & Electric Co. initially planned to de-energize local powers lines in vulnerable rural areas during high winds, but has expanded its precautionary power outages to urban areas that could mean multi-day blackouts for cities as larges as San Francisco and San Jose, which could endanger some who depend on electricity for…

By DAVID PORTER, Associated Press NEWARK, N.J. — As a tornado bore down on the western edge of New Jersey, some residents prepared for the worst, while others were caught off guard, despite bulletins from meteorologists and extensive coverage by television and radio stations. Marie Raffay was at a high school sports award banquet in Stanhope on Tuesday night with her husband and two sons when they and others noticed the sky darkening, accompanied by…

What is the ‘cone of uncertainty’ — and should it determine whether I evacuate? The National Hurricane Center produces a “cone of uncertainty” showing the possible path of a hurricane each time a tropical cyclone becomes a named storm. Here’s how they create the cone — and how much it actually tells you on the potential risks. By × The National Hurricane Center produces a “cone of uncertainty” showing the possible path of a hurricane…

After several quiet years, tornadoes have erupted in the United States over the last two weeks as a volatile mix of warm, moist air from the Southeast and persistent cold from the Rockies clashed and stalled over the Midwest. As of Wednesday, there have been at least eight tornadoes per day for 13 straight days, ABC News reports. That number was already a record on Tuesday with 12 days. The previous record for consecutive days…

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is activating the Illinois National Guard to respond to recent severe flooding . Pritzker is holding a Thursday morning news conference at the Illinois Emergency Management Agency in Springfield with Adjutant General Richard Neely and others about the planned activation. The update comes a day after Madison County in southern Illinois was declared a disaster area and National Guard help was sought to aid in flood-fighting efforts. County Board…