Charlotte North Carolina News

CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46 WJZY/AP) – Authorities confirmed this week two detainees drowned when a van was swept away in rising flood waters in South Carolina. So far, 34 people have died as a result of Florence with 26 of those deaths in North Carolina, seven in South Carolina, and one in Virginia.  Authorities in Virginia said one person was dead after an apparent tornado, the first fatality attributed to Florence not in the Carolinas.. Horry County…

CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) – Flooding from Florence shows no bounds. Families have had to escape their homes and so have pets who never had a place to call home. Many of those animals are now calling the Queen City home. “You know you never really know what’s going to happen until the storm hits,” said Emily Cook from the Humane Society of Charlotte. At landfall Hurricane Florence lived up to her expectations by…

CHERAW, SC (FOX 46 WJZY) – The Pee Dee River, which extends into both North Carolina and South Carolina, experienced flooding. In our area, Cheraw was the most impacted by the body of water. Latest numbers show the river got as high as 46-feet in the town. It starts to flood at 30-feet. “I wanted to come check it out, it’s history,” said a woman who stopped by the river to get a glance. “It’s…

Three U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents were helping with Florence relief in the Raleigh area when they came upon a wrecked car in a field. The agents then found a second car that had “been rolled over” and three “badly injured” individuals in the field in Morrisville on Monday morning, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol news release. The agents called 911 and “provided basic life support” to those who were involved…

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster confirmed there have been six deaths in the state attributed to Hurricane Florence. The latest fatality was Rhonda Hartley, 30, who died Sunday in a car crash due to floodwaters in Lexington County. McMaster warned South Carolina residents of continued hazards due to flooding. “The flooding is coming. The flooding — the main flooding — hasn’t yet reached this area,” he said. Department of Natural Resources Director Alvin Taylor warned…

CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) – Target has committed up to $1.5 million to help communities after Florence struck North Carolina and South Carolina, causing catastrophic floods and leaving thousands of homes destroyed and families displaced.   Target said $1 million of their donation wil go to non-profit organizations, including Team Rubicon for disaster cleanup and recovery, GlobalGiving in support of various local nonprofits, and more as they access the need of the communities in the coming…

CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) – Planet Fitness is opening 39 locations in North Carolina and South Carolina for anyone impacted by Hurricane Florence free of charge. The fitness chain will have 34 clubs in North Carolina and five clubs in South Carolina where anyone in impacted communities can utilize showers, fitness equipment, massage chairs, electrical outlets and more. LINK: How to help those affected by Hurricane Florence Doors will remain open starting Tuesday, Sept. 18…

Tropical Storm Florence is flooding North Carolina with more than just water. State officials have begun investigating more than 600 reports of price gouging in the wake of the storm, which hit the coast as a Category 1 hurricane early Friday morning. Price gouging is illegal during disasters and disaster recovery. Its definition under North Carolina law is somewhat ambiguous — there are plenty of economic factors that inspectors must consider, both pro and con,…

Bridge washes away, trapping tractor trailer in Chesterfield County (left). Road collapses beneath car in Horry County (right). Credit: Chesterfield County Sheriff/Horry County Fire & Rescue Bridge washes away, trapping tractor trailer in Chesterfield County (left). Road collapses beneath car in Horry County (right). Credit: Chesterfield County Sheriff/Horry County Fire & Rescue (FOX 46 WJZY) – Just because it’s sunny doesn’t mean Florence is through with us yet. North Carolina Department of Transportation spokesperson Jen…

CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46 WJZY/AP) – President Donald Trump is expected to come to North Carolina Wednesday to visit areas that have been affected by then-hurricane Florence.  North Carolina officials said even though the sun is shining in parts of the state, major flooding is continuing in the aftermath of Florence and is expected to worsen in some areas. Gov. Roy Cooper said 16 rivers are at major flood stage Tuesday with an additional three forecast…

Hornets Chairman Michael Jordan is donating $2 million to organizations aiding in the relief and recovery efforts, as part of the Hornets’ ongoing effort to assist residents who have suffered due to the devastation caused by Florence.  Jordan is contributing $1 million each to the American Red Cross and the Foundation For The Carolinas’ Hurricane Florence Response Fund. The American Red Cross is providing food and shelter to thousands of people who have been displaced by…

Under sunny skies Tuesday, North Carolina towns watched, with dread, as rivers continued to rise a day after Florence finally exited the state. The National Weather Service said Tuesday that the radar-estimated total rainfall from the storm was 8.04 trillion gallons, a record deluge in places. That water was responsible for some of the 26 confirmed deaths because of the storm. About 2,200 people have had to be rescued, according to Gov. Roy Cooper. Major…

On one side of a two-lane country road a little ways south of Kinston, a man was walking through thigh-high water carrying loads of plastic boxes, packed to the top with clothes and other belongings that he salvaged from his flooded house. On the other side of the same road, another man surveyed the receding water, thankful that things weren’t worse for him. It was Sunday, two days after Hurricane Florence slowly churned through southeastern…