Charlotte North Carolina News

Most western NC counties received over a dozen inches of rain in the three days before and during Helene. CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Western North Carolina communities are still reeling from the devastating conditions brought by Hurricane Helene on Friday.  Flooding in the area was worsened by substantial rain in the two days before Helene’s arrival. From North Carolina’s most westernmost county, Cherokee County, to as far east as Mecklenburg County, widespread flooding impacted an unprecedented…

BOONE, N.C. — Sara Iskrzycki endured six “miserable” days after her home flooded during Helene. But the App State student decided it was time to bring some joy back to Boone. “Once I saw other people smile, that got me going,” Iskrzycki said. Iskrzycki, her brother Michael, and her friend Joe have been directing people toward hot meals on the side of the road in downtown Boone, usually with dances and smiles on their faces. On a…

Construction on more than a third of homes in a state program aimed at rebuilding after Hurricanes Matthew and Florence remains incomplete. NORTH CAROLINA, USA — North Carolina Emergency Management is touting its fast initial response in the aftermath of Helene but recent history reveals the state has struggled to quickly help hurricane survivors in the long-term. According to the agency, the state has helped send more than $1 million in FEMA benefits to survivors with…

State officials discussed relief efforts from emergency management headquarters in Columbia. COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and other state officials held a news conference in Columbia to discuss Helene relief efforts. Officials gathered at the emergency management headquarters in Columbia. State officials now confirm 36 storm-related deaths from Helene in South Carolina, including the first reported in Richland County. The South Carolina Department of Public Safety posted the latest information on fatalities…

Helene’s flooding was so strong it picked up one of Vlado Novakovic’s homes and pushed it right into another home, he says. NEWLAND, N.C. — Life-threatening flash flooding produced by Helene was so strong it picked up homes and floated them away. For one North Carolina resident, he said he recorded this video that shows one home being picked up and pushed directly into a second home before both homes floated away. Vlado Novakovic owns…

Helene’s flooding was so strong it picked up one of Vlado Novakovic’s homes and pushed it right into another home, he says. NEWLAND, N.C. — Life-threatening flash flooding produced by Helene was so strong it picked up homes and floated them away. For one North Carolina resident, he said he recorded this video that shows one home being picked up and pushed directly into a second home before both homes floated away. Vlado Novakovic owns…

Construction on more than a third of homes in a state program aimed at rebuilding after Hurricanes Matthew and Florence remains incomplete. NORTH CAROLINA, USA — North Carolina Emergency Management is touting its fast initial response in the aftermath of Helene but recent history reveals the state has struggled to quickly help hurricane survivors in the long-term. According to the agency, the state has helped send more than $1 million in FEMA benefits to survivors with…

Flooding in the small town of Spruce Pine has shut down the mining of the world’s purest quartz, a critical component in semiconductors. SPRUCE PINE, N.C. — Flooding in a small town in Mitchell County, North Carolina, could send shockwaves through the global semiconductor industry.  Spruce Pine is a town of 2,200 residents. It’s also the site of the world’s highest quality quartz deposits, a major component of the tiny chips that power everything from…

Flooding in the small town of Spruce Pine has shut down the mining of the world’s purest quartz, a critical component in semiconductors. SPRUCE PINE, N.C. — Flooding in a small town in Mitchell County, North Carolina, could send shockwaves through the global semiconductor industry.  Spruce Pine is a town of 2,200 residents. It’s also the site of the world’s highest quality quartz deposits, a major component of the tiny chips that power everything from…

The devastation was especially bad in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where at least 50 people died in and around the tourism haven of Asheville. ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Cadaver dogs and search crews trudged through knee-deep muck and debris in the mountains of western North Carolina on Tuesday looking for victims of Hurricane Helene, days after the storm carved a deadly and destructive path through the Southeast. With Helene’s death toll topping 150, searchers fanned out, using…

With social media so easily accessible by anyone these days, this is a good reminder always to double-check where the information comes from. CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As people across the Southeast slowly recover from Hurricane Helene’s devastating impacts, there’s a lot of misinformation beginning to spread across social media.  With social media so easily accessible by anyone, this is a good reminder to always double-check where the information comes from before sharing it on your…

Historic flooding in East Tennessee and North Carolina swept away a part of I-40 East near the state line on Friday. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Historic flooding in East Tennessee knocked out part of the interstate system as Hurricane Helene moved through the area, dumping historic amounts of rain and putting communities underwater. The storm made I-40 impassable in multiple spots including near the state line, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation. It also…

Homeowners and renters in the following counties are eligible to apply for FEMA help: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday that more than 57,000 people have applied for FEMA individual aid and said some have already received funds to begin repairing their…

Homeowners and renters in the following counties are eligible to apply for FEMA help: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday that more than 57,000 people have applied for FEMA individual aid and said some have already received funds to begin repairing their…

Despite being stuck in a storm, a man traveled from South Carolina mostly on foot to be in Johnson City for his daughter’s wedding. JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — The devastation from Hurricane Helene has made it hard for people to travel, with many roads blocked by debris or destroyed. But that didn’t stop one man from getting to Johnson City. David Jones was determined to make it to his daughter Elizabeth’s wedding on Saturday when…