North Carolina News

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — Facing the possibility of severe weather this weekend, shelter and emergency officials are preparing in the event their services are needed. “The main thing we’re doing is trying to reach out into the community, trying to find any homeless who haven’t come in from the weather yet,” said Rob Tart, the CEO and President of the Durham Rescue Mission. Tart said they are less concerned about the drop in temperatures and…

By THOMAS PEIPERT and MATTHEW BROWN, Associated Press DENVER — A late-season wildfire pushed by hurricane-force winds tore through two densely populated Denver suburbs and seemed destined to leave a trail of deaths. Yet, only two people are unaccounted for out of some 35,000 forced from their homes. It’s a remarkably low number of possible casualties, according to disaster experts and authorities, all the more so because a public alert system did not reach everyone…

By Keenan Willard, WRAL eastern North Carolina reporter Coats, N.C. — A Harnett County family is grateful for their safety after Monday’s storm literally moved their house while they were inside. The National Weather Service said on Tuesday that an EF-0 Tornado hit Buies Creek in Harnett County on Monday, The tornado “briefly touched down” for 2 miles, according to the NWS. The Rivera family was asleep on Monday morning in their home off Cottle Lake…

By Rex Hodge, WLOS Canton, N.C. — Many are making resolutions for the New Year. Few will be bigger than the Town of Canton. It’s resolved to rebuild after last summer’s flooding. The flood disrupted so many lives in and around Canton, even the Pisgah Memorial football field remains damaged to this day. But Mayor Zeb Smathers says in the new year, he expects full recovery and victory. Smathers is the first to say it’s…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center We are seeing a little bit of everything on Monday — heavy rain, severe weather and even a little snow. The greatest threat is heavy rain and flash flooding during the first half of the day. What to know Orange, Chapel-Hill Carrboro and Franklin schools have canceled classes Monday. There will be no remote learning. See all closings and delays. Green Hope High School in Cary released students early after…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center We are seeing a little bit of everything on Monday — heavy rain, severe weather and even a little snow. The greatest threat is heavy rain and flash flooding during the first half of the day. What to know Orange, Chapel-Hill Carrboro and Franklin schools have canceled classes Monday. There will be no remote learning. See all closings and delays. The Triangle is under a flash flood warning until 3…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center We could see a little bit of everything on Monday — heavy rain, severe weather and even a little snow. The greatest threat will be heavy rain and flash flooding. What to know Orange and Chapel-Hill Carrboro schools have canceled classes Monday. There will be no remote learning. See all closings and delays. The Triangle is under a flash flood warning until 9:15 a.m. as heavy rain falls in the…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center We could see a little bit of everything on Monday — heavy rain, severe weather and even a little snow. The greatest threat will be heavy rain and flash flooding. What to know Orange and Chapel-Hill Carrboro schools have canceled classes Monday. There will be no remote learning. See all closings and delays. The Triangle is under a flash flood warning until 9:15 a.m. as heavy rain falls in the…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center We could see a little bit of everything on Monday — heavy rain, severe weather and even a little snow. The greatest threat will be heavy rain and flash flooding. What to know Orange and Chapel-Hill Carrboro schools have canceled classes Monday. There will be no remote learning. See all closings and delays. The Triangle is under a flash flood warning until 9:15 a.m. as heavy rain falls in the…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center We could see a little bit of everything on Monday — heavy rain, severe weather and even a little snow. The greatest threat will be heavy rain and flash flooding. What to know Orange and Chapel-Hill Carrboro schools have canceled classes Monday. There will be no remote learning. See all closings and delays. The Triangle is under a flash flood warning until 7:45 a.m. as heavy rain falls in the…

RALEIGH. N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina could see areas of severe weather, heavy rain, gusty winds, flooding, and even some snow Sunday night into Monday morning. In preparation for the potential weather, Orange County Schools opted to cancel classes and all school-related activities. “Due to a high potential for a variety of inclement weather situations, including high winds, sleet and snow, all OCS schools and buildings will be closed Monday, January 3, 2022,” read a…

DENVER — No deaths have been reported as a result of a swift and vicious wildfire that consumed at least 500 homes in Boulder County, Colorado, and forced some 35,000 people to flee, authorities said Friday. “We might have our very own New Year’s miracle on our hands if it holds up that there was no loss of life,” Gov. Jared Polis said. One person who was unaccounted for has been found and several others…

DENVER — A vicious wildfire that began Thursday morning in Boulder County, Colorado, swallowed about 1,600 acres in a matter of hours, burning hundreds of homes and prompting orders for some 30,000 people in two communities to evacuate. Amid historically powerful winds, some 370 homes were destroyed in a single subdivision just west of the town of Superior, while another 210 homes may have been lost in Old Town Superior, the sheriff said Thursday. No…

By PATTY NIEBERG, BRADY McCOMBS and COLLEEN SLEVIN, Associated Press/Report for America DENVER — Mike Guanella and his family were relaxing at their Colorado home and looking forward to celebrating a belated family Christmas later Thursday when reports of a nearby grass fire quickly turned into a concerning pre-evacuation notice and then within minutes into an order to leave immediately. The Guanellas were among tens of thousands of residents who were forced to evacuate their…

DENVER — Thousands of residents in two communities near Boulder were ordered to evacuate Thursday because of a wind-fueled wildfire that engulfed parts of the area in smoky, orangish skies. The city of Louisville, which has a population of about 21,000, was ordered to evacuate after residents in Superior, which has 13,000 residents, were told to leave. The neighboring towns are roughly 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Denver. The blaze was one of several…

MORRISVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) — A rebound in air travel during the holiday season is facing strong headwinds from two obstacles, leading to a sharp rise in cancellations: COVID-19 cases and severe weather. Since Christmas Eve, more than 5,000 flights have been cancelled nationally, as airlines face crew shortages because of an uptick in COVID-19 cases, believed to be spurred by the more transmissible Omicron variant. On Wednesday, FlightAware reported 16 flights — seven departures and…

By The Associated Press LINVILLE, N.C. — Firefighters are monitoring a wildfire in the vicinity of Grandfather Mountain which has burned 35 acres, officials said. The Linville Volunteer Fire Department said on its Facebook page that the fire, reported on Friday in the Roseboro area, had spread overnight but wasn’t threatening any homes as of Saturday. The post said equipment was deployed to protect residents. The department said the fire was on the Blue Ridge…

DAWSON SPRINGS, Ky. — Shocking video captured the moment a deputy in Kentucky rescued two babies after a deadly tornado outbreak ripped through the area. The footage obtained from the deputy’s body camera shows authorities finding the children in a tub that was thrown from a home demolished by the tornadoes. Deputies can be seen frantically looking through the rubble. READ ALSO | 9 days after tornado demolished Kentucky office building, owner’s cat was found…

By MARGERY A. BECK and MARGARET STAFFORD, Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. — At least five people died as a powerful and extremely unusual storm system swept across the Great Plains and Midwest amid unseasonably warm temperatures, spawning hurricane-force winds and possible tornadoes in Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota. In southeastern Minnesota, Olmsted County Sheriff’s Lt. Lee Rossman said a 65-year-old man was killed Wednesday night when a 40-foot tree blew onto him outside his home. In…

By Zach Maloch, WRAL meteorologist It’s been nearly a week since Friday’s deadly tornado outbreak, and while such severe weather in December is quite the rarity, it’s hard to believe we saw another significant severe weather event since then. A recent preliminary survey has been released classifying the tornado that blasted western Kentucky last Friday as an EF-4. Winds reached 190 mph over some 128 miles on the ground. That classification is 10 mph shy…

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Officials in Bowling Green, Kentucky, are pleading for the public’s help in finding 13-year-old Nyssa Brown, who remains unaccounted for after last week’s devastating tornado outbreak killed six members of her family. The city has processed 244 missing person reports and accounted for everyone but the teenager. “This isn’t just another missing person, but rather this is our 13-year-old girl,” Bowling Green Fire Chief Justin Brooks said at a press briefing…

By Zach Maloch, WRAL meteorologist It’s been nearly a week since Friday’s deadly tornado outbreak, and while such severe weather in December is quite the rarity, it’s hard to believe we saw another significant severe weather event since then. A Recent preliminary survey has been released classifying the tornado that blasted western Kentucky last Friday as an EF-4. Winds reached 190 mph over some 128 miles on the ground. That classification is 10 mph shy of…