North Carolina News

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – Florence made landfall near Wrightsville Beach at 7:15 a.m. Friday and now torrential downpours, heavy flooding and the threat of tornadoes are continuing to wreak havoc on the region. The storm is now a tropical depression and despite weakening, remains a threat we can’t ignore. Please continue to expend your energy not on anxiety, but on safety and positive action for the duration of the storm and beyond. National Weather Service-issued Flash Flood Warnings continue for…

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – Florence made landfall near Wrightsville Beach at 7:15 a.m. Friday. The storm is now a tropical depression and should move northward away from the Carolinas in the coming days. In the not too distant future, a front will work in once Florence departs, bringing some much needed high pressure and by comparison, “good weather”. MONDAY AND TUESDAY FORECAST DETAILS: Lingering scattered showers and storms will be possible as Florence, whether it be a…

Highest regional impacts following Florence remain freshwater flooding around area rivers and tributaries. Many are slowly rising, and are expected to crest in the coming days. (Source: WECT) Drier air finally sweeps into SE NC for Wednesday. (Source: WECT) WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – The remnants of Florence are now over New England and the National Hurricane Center has discontinued advisories. Late tonight a front will sweep out the last of the tropical moisture over southeast…

SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA (WECT) – NEW HANOVER COUNTY Five shelters are accepting residents in New Hanover County as of Thursday morning, according to county officials: Trask Middle School (pet friendly) Eaton Elementary School Codington Elementary Johnson Pre-K Center (full)  Noble Middle School County officials also announced that Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem is open as a shelter. According to officials, Garner High School, Southeast Raleigh High School, and Knightdale High School shelters in Wake…

SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA (WECT) – Some shelters are having to close due to impacts from Florence. Please look below for the latest information as things may have changed. NEW HANOVER COUNTY Five shelters are accepting residents in New Hanover County as of Thursday morning, according to county officials: Trask Middle School (pet friendly) – taking on water, moving people to Eaton Elementary Eaton Elementary School Codington Elementary Johnson Pre-K Center (full)  Noble Middle School County…

RALEIGH, NC (WNCN) – Gov. Roy Cooper has asked the president for a disaster declaration ahead of Hurricane Florence’s landfall.  The now-Category 4 hurricane is forecast to come ashore along the North or South Carolina coast late Thursday into Friday.  “North Carolina is no stranger to hurricanes. We are a resilient state. Storms and heavy wind and rain can affect the entire state,” Cooper said.  Cooper arrived in Wilmington Monday afternoon and spoke with officials at…

SOUTHEASTERN, NC (WECT) – NEW HANOVER COUNTY New Hanover County recommends a voluntary evacuation for the whole county while Kure Beach, Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach have mandatory evacuations. Residents and visitors should be in a safe location before 8 p.m. Wednesday. Trask Middle School is open as a shelter. This is a pet co-location shelter and cats and dogs are welcome. No exotic animals. Limited food service will be provided for those seeking shelter. A…

It’s still unclear whether the storm will hit Southeastern North Carolina. SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — It’s looking more likely that Hurricane Florence could impact the East Coast, and state and local officials are urging coastal North Carolinians to get prepared. Florence strengthened to Category 1 hurricane Sunday morning, according to an 11 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center. The storm, about 750 miles southeast of Bermuda, is projected to make landfall early Friday morning somewhere…

HURRICANE Q&A Q: What’s the difference between a hurricane warning and a hurricane watch? A: A warning is more serious than a watch. A hurricane watch means a hurricane may threaten the area within 48 hours. A hurricane warning means sustained winds of 74 mph or stronger will likely strike a specific coastal area within 36 hours. Q: Does a higher category number mean a worse storm? A: Yes. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale rates storms…

The tropical storm is expected to strengthen into a hurricane late Saturday or early Sunday. WILMINGTON — At 11 a.m. Saturday, Southeastern North Carolina officially entered the cone of uncertainty for Tropical Storm Florence, which is on a track headed for the East Coast. By 5 p.m., the track for the tropical storm, which is expected to strengthen into a hurricane Saturday night or Sunday, had shifted slightly north, bringing its potential trajectory closer to the region. With the…

Friday Aug 31, 2018 at 8:20 AM Potential Tropical Cyclone 6 is forecast to strengthen to Tropical Storm Florence on Friday and then a hurricane by Sunday morning. The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Potential Tropical Cyclone 6, which is forecast to strengthen to Tropical Storm Florence and then a hurricane by Sunday. It would be the third hurricane of the 2018 season, following Beryl and Chris. The potential tropical cyclone is in the far eastern Atlantic, about…

By Cammie Bellamy StarNews Staff Wednesday Aug 15, 2018 at 5:04 PM Aug 15, 2018 at 6:10 PM Bright Leaf Road at Wendover Lane among streets closed due to high water NEW HANOVER COUNTY — Several roads in the Ogden and Middle Sound areas of New Hanover County are flooded after a brief but heavy storm Wednesday afternoon. New Hanover County emergency dispatchers said as of 4:45 p.m., police were closing Bright Leaf Road at Wendover Lane, behind Big Lots, due to standing water. Flooding…

Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue said they rescued about 20 people from the ocean on Sunday. Tropical Storm Chris is stalled off the coast of the Carolinas, gathering strength to become a hurricane but not expected to make landfall. No hurricane or storm watches or warnings were posted Monday morning, but forecasters said Sunday that Chris will bring “life threatening” rough surf and dangerous rip currents along the East Coast. Minor beach erosion and ocean overwash…

By Cammie Bellamy StarNews Staff Sunday Jul 8, 2018 at 5:57 PM Jul 8, 2018 at 7:47 PM The National Hurricane Center forecast the storm could become a hurricane Monday. N.C. COAST — Tropical Storm Chris is expected to strengthen to a hurricane Monday off the North Carolina coast, but is unlikely to cause problems on land. As of Sunday evening, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Chris, which grew from a tropical depression to a tropical storm Sunday, was sitting 180 miles southeast of…

SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA (WECT) – The National Weather Service in Wilmington has issued a Tornado Warning for Pender and Sampson Counties until 11:45 a.m. If you are in the warned area, please take shelter immediately in an interior room and cover and protect your head. Stay tuned to WECT on air and online for the latest weather developments. Download the WECT Weather app in the Apple App or Google Play store for interactive radar, hour-by-hour forecasts and…