Charlotte North Carolina News

Fox Carolina called it the Carolinas’ “post-hurricane horror.” Huge numbers of fire ants were reportedly forming “rafts” to escape Hurricane Florence’s flood waters, sending them floating down neighborhood streets, into yards. “I don’t think this is real,” one person commented on Facebook, seeming to echo what many others were saying about the stories. “Locally, haven’t heard a word.” Experts at the North Carolina Museum of Natural History beg to differ, however. Not only are floating…

WASHINGTON ― In the wake of Hurricane Florence, the Internal Revenue Service is reminding taxpayers that criminals and scammers try to take advantage of the generosity of taxpayers who want to help victims of major disasters. Fraudulent schemes normally start with unsolicited contact by telephone, social media, e-mail or in-person using a variety of tactics. •    Some impersonate charities to get money or private information from well-intentioned taxpayers. •    Bogus websites use names similar to…

By Monday afternoon, the City of Charlotte had received nearly 500 requests for workers to come out and deal with downed trees and limbs from Hurricane Florence, according to data released by the city. In a report dated 4 p.m. Monday, city officials said they could not determine how many major streets were blocked because of an “overwhelming volume of emergency tree requests.” Cleanup was well underway on Monday, Charlotte’s first sunny day after the…

Our reporters and photojournalists are in the field throughout the Carolinas reporting on the effects of Florence. Their Monday reports are here and their Sunday reports are here. You can follow them at https://twitter.com/newsobserver/lists/hurricane-mcclatchy Fayetteville, NC: Rivers still rising 7:35 a.m.: The Cape Fear River in Fayetteville was expected to crest on Tuesday, but another river in Cumberland County had already reached an all-time record. The Cape Fear in Fayetteville reached 58.89 feet as of…

CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) – Many people fled from coastal cities in North Carolina ahead of Hurricane Florence. Now that the storm is gone, getting back to their homes seems impossible. The St. Juste’s family evacuated from Wilmington last week. They aren’t sure when they’ll be able to get back to the city, that at one point, state workers said was inaccessible by land to get into or out of. “We are concerned about…

(AP/FOX 46) It’s not every day you see a boat riding down a street, but this is reality for people living up and down the North Carolina coast as historic flooding is overtaking several communities.   In Scotts Hill just outside of Wilmington, several people have been cut off, stuck for days without power or any way to get out.  “Never-ever seen it like this. I’ve been here for 18 years,” Kim Saffo said.  Her…

WILMINGTON, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) – The volunteer group known as the United Cajun Navy is in Eastern North Carolina doing what they do best and that’s rescuing people stranded by water. Men and women in the group turn their recreational boats into rescue vessels. So far, they estimate since Florence hit they have rescued more than 200 people. The need is still great. Even though the rain has stopped the flood waters continue to…

CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) – Cleanup efforts are now underway in south Charlotte after Florence pummeled parts of the area.  South Charlotte took the brunt of the storm in Mecklenburg County. The storm caused streets to flood and trees to topple over.  “They showed me the damage and I was like ‘wow’,” one young neighbor in Myers Park told FOX 46. Florence dumped nearly eight inches of rain across the Queen City– enough for…

As the wind and rain from Florence subsides, the damage to communities impacted by its path is still becoming apparent. Union County residents felt the devastation, from flooded roads and stranded vehicles to closed schools. And now, from two fatalities. One of storm’s causalities was a one-year-old boy.  As of Monday afternoon some are still without power in Union County and numerous roads are closed either due to flooding or downed trees. Schools won’t resume…

As the wind and rain from Florence subsides, the damage to communities impacted by its path is still becoming apparent. Union County residents felt the devastation, from flooded roads and stranded vehicles to closed schools. And now, from two fatalities. One of the storm’s causalities was a one-year-old boy.  As of Monday afternoon some are still without power in Union County and numerous roads are closed either due to flooding or downed trees. Schools won’t…

WWE wrestling star Scott Dawson says his family’s eastern North Carolina home is “under water,” in the wake of Hurricane Florence. Dawson said in a tweet Monday that the storm has also created havoc in his hometown of Whiteville, in Columbus County. “My family’s home under water. Conditions are only getting worse there. My heart aches for my hometown,” he said in a tweet, including a link to the Red Cross. “Please help any way…

The heaviest rainfall from Tropical Depression Florence may be over for the Charlotte region. Even though the rain is likely to taper off Sunday night, rivers are expected to crest later in the week. There are downed trees and power lines scattered throughout Charlotte, but there’s not widespread damage from wind or rain.