Charlotte North Carolina News

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina’s severe weather preparedness week kicked off Sunday to coincide with the start of meteorological spring. Now is the time to prepare for severe weather. All this week, and next week in South Carolina, officials are encouraging residents to educate and prepare themselves and their families. The WCNC Charlotte First Warn weather team will be there every step of the way. Monday: Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes A thunderstorm is a local…

Even though rain has become less frequent over portions of the South and the Ohio Valley in recent days, a stormy pattern during the first week of March may aggravate the flooding situation in some areas. The stormy pattern will evolve as cold air that has settled over the eastern half of the United States late this week begins to retreat northward. A large portion of the South Central and Southeastern states as well as…

An early start in a particular area of the United States for tornado-related weather could signal what’s ahead for the 2020 tornado season in the U.S. AccuWeather forecasts a normal to slightly above-normal number of tornadoes in 2020 with a range of 1,350 to 1,450, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. That range is close to what occurred in 2019 and 5 to 15 percent more than the U.S. annual average. There were 1,422 tornadoes in 2019…

An experienced hurricane hunting crew chasing a winter storm came across a far different discovery this past weekend. In what is know as St. Elmo’s fire, footage of the forking electric discharge was captured on Saturday by pilots as the spectacle flashed throughout the cockpit. The video, captured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Aircraft Operations Center (AOC), was taken as pilots flew across the Atlantic Ocean amid thunderstorms. NOAA deployed the hunters…

Rescue and recovery efforts continued across parts of northern Europe Monday in the wake of Storm Dennis which ripped through the region over the weekend. The storm is to blame for at least two deaths, devastating flooding and travel delays. Dennis swept through Ireland and the United Kingdom and into north-central Europe, spreading damaging wind gusts and areas of heavy rain. Many of these locations were still recovering after receiving the wrath of Storm Ciara…

JACKSON, Miss — Authorities in Mississippi are bracing for the possibility of catastrophic flooding around the state capital of Jackson as water levels rise precipitously in a river swollen by days of torrential rain.  Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency Saturday to amass the resources necessary to cope with the cresting of the Pearl River, which runs in the area around the state capital of Jackson.  The river is expected to crest…

With a severe weather outbreak barely in the rear-view mirror, another round of heavy and gusty thunderstorms is rattling the southeastern United States on Thursday. Storms that broke out one week ago, on Thursday, Feb. 6, produced nearly 200 incidents of severe weather, including more than a dozen tornadoes in the Southeast, according to the Storm Prediction Center. The severe weather was part of a multiple-day outbreak that left a trail of destruction over the…

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One week after multiple tornadoes caused major damage across the Charlotte area, the Carolinas will again face the threat of severe weather Thursday. A line of storms will push east Thursday morning before continuing toward eastern North Carolina in the afternoon. Fortunately, the overall threat is low, especially compared to last week’s outbreak that saw eight confirmed tornadoes around the Charlotte area.  “This is nothing like that,” said First Warn chief meteorologist…

Seven words captured the continued joy being felt by those fighting fires in the Australian state of New South Wales as days of rain continued to pour down on the wildfire-embattled areas. “The good news just keeps rolling in!” the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) tweeted Tuesday. The NSW RFS noted that a fire that had been burning for 210 days had been declared out. That was on top of a previous…

The Charlotte region could see flash flooding this week, with between 1 and 1.5 inches of rainfall expected between Monday evening and Thursday. Meteorologist Sandy LaCorte of the National Weather Service says residents who live in low-lying areas and near rivers should be careful. “We are starting to see some of the area rivers and streams recede,” LaCorte said. “But again, as we have this you know, next round of rainfall come in, it’s not…

Lake Wateree rose to 106 feet on Saturday, its highest level since Hurricane Hugo at 107 feet in 1989, according to the National Weather Service. The organization tweeted Saturday that the level should remain steady before making a decline.  Rain during Thursday’s severe weather increased water levels in Columbia. The Congaree River rose to 28 feet and has flooded the surrounding area. A cold front is responsible for triggering storms. The severe weather outbreak on…

CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. — An EF-1 tornado developed west of Lawndale in Cleveland County and ended in Lincoln County on February 6, according to the National Weather Service. The tornado, with estimated 100 mph maximum winds, did not result in any reported deaths or injuries. Damage from the tornado was mostly limited to snapped and uprooted trees, but the NWS said one mobile home had minor roof damage on New Bethel Church Road. Additionally, an…

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — She’s thankful everyone escaped with their lives, but now her business and income are gone.  RELATED: NWS confirms EF-1 tornado in south Charlotte The EF-1 tornado traveled nearly 18 miles from Carowinds, to Pineville, across south Charlotte, into Matthews, before finally lifting in Union County. No injuries were reported as a result of this tornado. RELATED: Here are all of the tornadoes confirmed in the Carolinas Thursday

RANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. — The National Weather Service confirmed an EF1 tornado touched down in the town of Liberty in Randolph County on Thursday. The twister reached winds up to 100 mph.  The National Weather Service sent crews to Randolph County on Friday to assess the damage.  Severe weather on Thursday made for a messy day in the Triad, but most of all in Randolph County. Trees and power lines were knocked down after the…