Raleigh North Carolina News

By Rick Armstrong, WRAL photojournalist It’s a good time to check out the bounty of the state’s farmers’ markets and their locally grown produce. Many come to buy blueberries, but the “superfood” fruit took a big hit in one part of the state. It lead to a shortage. “I think we still have half a crop in that southeastern NC region,” said NC State University blueberry specialist Bill Cline. A half crop in the southeast…

By The Associated Press CHICAGO — A tornado that swept through Chicago’s western suburbs, damaging more than 100 homes and injuring several people, was packing 140 mph (225 kph) winds when it hit the heavily populated area, the National Weather Service said. A weather service team that surveyed the aftermath of Sunday night’s tornado found that, based on Monday’s preliminary findings, the storm was an EF3 tornado on the Enhanced Fujita scale when it cut…

By The Associated Press EAST BREWTON, Ala. — Thunderstorms associated with Tropical Storm Claudette produced at least seven confirmed tornadoes across the South over the weekend. National Weather Service surveyors confirmed three tornadoes in Mississippi, two in Alabama, and one each in Georgia and North Carolina, all occurring Saturday or Sunday. The most noteworthy twister struck East Brewton, Alabama, on Saturday. That storm had estimated top winds of 127 mph (204 kilometers per hour). The…

NAGS HEAD, N.C. (AP) — A task force force has been formed with the aim of saving the main highway on North Carolina’s Outer Banks from storms and sea level rise. The Virginian-Pilot reported last week that the task force will focus on protecting seven vulnerable spots along 67 miles of the narrow highway. NC Highway 12 runs from Oregon Inlet to Hatteras Village and continues after a ferry ride to Ocracoke. The taskforce tasked…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — Tropical Storm Claudette moved out to the Atlantic Ocean, and sunshine finally returned to North Carolina. Monday was muggy and hot, with highs in the low 90s and a head index reaching 100 degrees. “It’s like when Claudette left, the humidity stayed — or at least the tropical air did,” said WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze. A cold front moving through Tuesday brings more rain and storms. The…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — Tropical Storm Claudette moved out to the Atlantic Ocean, and sunshine finally returned to North Carolina. Monday will be muggy and hot, with highs in the low 90s and a head index reaching 100 degrees. “It’s like when Claudette left, the humidity stayed — or at least the tropical air did,” said WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze. Temps are not planning to cool off on Monday night, Maze…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — The Triangle is dry as Tropical Storm Claudette begins to pull away from the coast. Some coastal communities are still under a Tropical Storm Warning – with some rain and storms, with windy conditions and choppy waves. “We’ve got some pretty rough surf out there,” said WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth. “Anywhere from 5 to 9 feet.” However, we’ll have improving conditions all across North Carolina as we move into…

WOODRIDGE, Ill. — A tornado touched down and caused extensive damage in the suburbs of Chicago Sunday night as a line of severe storms brought heavy rains and damaging winds across the Chicago area. A large tornado was reported in southern DuPage County, Illinois, both radar-indicated and by local storm spotters around 11:10 p.m. Sunday. The National Weather Service is expected to confirm its strength and path on Monday. The tornado began in Naperville before…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — Claudette has strengthened back into a Tropical Storm. No damage has been reported from Claudette’s impact on NC overnight, and the storm’s impact on central NC may soon come to an end as the storm races off to the north and east. “The center of circulation was 55 miles south of Raleigh around 2 a.m., but as of 4:30 a.m., it had moved closer to Goldsboro,” said…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for the North Carolina coast and most of the state’s coastline — from Cape Lookout to the Virginia border — could experience storm surge. The National Hurricane Center says tropical storm conditions are possible Sunday night and Monday morning at North Carolina beaches. The center of Tropical Depression Claudette made its way into South Carolina on Saturday afternoon. Ahead of…

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — After bringing life-threatening flash flooding to the Gulf Coast, Tropical Storm Claudette was downgraded to a tropical depression and is moving quickly toward North Carolina. As of Sunday morning, Claudette is 85 miles west-southwest of Atlanta and moving at about 13 miles per hour. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 30 miles per hour. The system is expected to continue on its path through Georgia and into North Carolina on…

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — After bringing life-threatening flash flooding to the Gulf Coast, Tropical Storm Claudette was downgraded to a tropical depression and is moving quickly toward North Carolina. As of Sunday morning, Claudette is 85 miles west-southwest of Atlanta and moving at about 13 miles per hour. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 30 miles per hour. The system is expected to continue on its path through Georgia and into North Carolina on…

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — Forecasters warned of life-threatening flash flooding in parts of the Deep South, particularly across central Alabama, as Tropical Depression Claudette traveled over coastal states early Sunday. Heavy rain led to high water late Saturday into early Sunday in the Birmingham and Tuscaloosa metropolitan areas. EYE ON THE GULF: ABC13 tracks tropical activity throughout hurricane season More than 20 people were rescued by boat due to flooding in Northport, Alabama, WVUA-TV reported….

By KEVIN McGILL and RUSS BYNUM, Associated Press NEW ORLEANS — Authorities in Alabama say a suspected tornado spurred by Tropical Storm Claudette demolished or badly damaged at least 50 homes in a small town just north of the Florida border. Sheriff Heath Jackson in Escambia County said a suspected tornado “pretty much leveled” a mobile home park, toppled trees onto houses and ripped the roof off of a high school gym. Most of the…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for North Carolina’s coast. On Sunday morning, Tropical Depression Claudette was moving through Georgia with sustained winds of 30 mph, according to the 5 a.m. advisory from the National Weather Center. “We expect it to weaken just a little bit more throughout the day, and then it’s going to re-strengthen,” said WRAL meteorologist Peta Sheerwood. The system is bringing the…

By Brendan Kirby Dauphin Island, Ala. — Tropical Storm Claudette on Saturday damaged the Cedar Point Fishing Pier and injured a homeless man who was riding out the storm in his van in the parking lot. The injuries were minor, but David Harris said his Ford Aerostar is badly damaged and all of his possessions ruined. “Everything that I own is in there,” he told FOX10 News. “It’s straight-line winds, I think, along with a…

By Derrick Bryson Taylor, New York Times Tropical Storm Claudette, the third named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, formed in the Gulf of Mexico and brought “copious rainfall” of 5-10 inches across the Mississippi Delta and Gulf Coast before being downgraded to a tropical depression Saturday, forecasters said. Maximum sustained winds decreased to 35 mph, with higher gusts, the National Hurricane Center said Saturday afternoon. “Claudette is expected to weaken a little more tonight,”…

By KEVIN McGILL and RUSS BYNUM, Associated Press NEW ORLEANS — Authorities in Alabama say a suspected tornado spurred by Tropical Storm Claudette demolished or badly damaged at least 50 homes in a small town just north of the Florida border. Sheriff Heath Jackson in Escambia County said a suspected tornado “pretty much leveled” a mobile home park, toppled trees onto houses and ripped the roof off of a high school gym. Most of the…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — Tropical Storm Claudette has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to bring rain and strong storms to parts of the southeast, including North Carolina. Claudette formed early Saturday morning and made landfall in Louisiana just before 8 a.m. EST. The storm’s maximum sustained winds strengthened to 45 miles per hour on Friday night. The system is moving north-northeast at 14 miles per hour. Rain…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — Tropical Storm Claudette has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to bring rain and strong storms to parts of the southeast, including North Carolina. Claudette formed early Saturday morning. The storm’s maximum sustained winds strengthened to 45 miles per hour on Friday night. The system is moving north-northeast at 12 miles per hour and was about 45 miles southwest of New Orleans at about…

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — After bringing life-threatening flash flooding to the Gulf Coast, Tropical Storm Claudette will be moving quickly toward North Carolina Sunday. First Alert Meteorologist Steve Stewart said the system could be arriving in the state as early as Monday morning. There will be rain throughout the state Sunday way ahead of the storm. Rain could be heavy at times and there could be a threat for an isolated tornado early Monday morning….

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — Tropical Storm Claudette has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to bring rain and strong storms to parts of the southeast, including North Carolina. Claudette formed early Saturday morning. The storm’s maximum sustained winds strengthened to 45 miles per hour on Friday night. The system is moving north-northeast at 12 miles per hour and was about 45 miles southwest of New Orleans at about…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — Tropical Storm Claudette has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to bring rain and strong storms to parts of the southeast, including North Carolina. Claudette formed early Saturday morning. The storm’s winds strengthened to 45 miles per hour on Friday night. The system is moving north-northeast at 12 miles per hour. Rain has begun falling along the Gulf Coast, and there is a high…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — Tropical Storm Claudette has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to bring rain and strong storms to parts of the southeast, including North Carolina. Claudette formed early Saturday morning. The storm’s winds strengthened to 45 miles per hour on Friday night. The system is moving north-northeast at 12 miles per hour. Rain has begun falling along the Gulf Coast, and there is a high…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — Potential tropical cyclone three has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to bring rain and strong storms to parts of the southeast, including North Carolina. As of 5 a.m. on Friday, the system is still a potential tropical cyclone with no closed or defined surface circulation. Once that develops, it will most likely become a tropical depression (if wind speeds are below 39 miles…

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — The tropical system headed for the Gulf Coast could bring rain to North Carolina at the start of next week. According to the National Hurricane Center, Potential Tropical Cyclone 3 is located about 300 miles south of Morgan City, Louisiana. It has sustained winds of 35 miles per hour and is speeding up. It’s now moving north at about 14 miles per hour, which is good because the faster it goes…

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — The Carolina Hurricanes agreed to a three-year contract extension with head coach Rod Brind’Amour. Brind’Amour has led the Hurricanes to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons. This most recent season his team finished the regular season with the second best record in the league. There was little doubt that Brind’Amour would get an extension this offseason, and after signing the extension he said there was never a thought…

By ANITA SNOW , Associated Press PHOENIX — Dangerous, record-busting heat spread across the U.S. Southwest on Tuesday and into parts of Utah, Montana and Wyoming as a dome of high pressure hovered over a large swath of the region, pushing temperatures into the triple digits this week and intensifying the risk for wildfires amid a long-running drought. Some of the highest temperatures were seen in bone-dry Arizona, where the National Weather Service forecast a…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Tropical Depression Bill formed in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday night, and is moving away from the coast of North Carolina. Winds from the storm are as high as 60 mph. The storm is expected to run into cooler sea surface temperatures and weaken as it moves north and east. “It is racing toward the northeast at almost 40 miles per hour,” said WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth. Because the system…

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Three systems are on the radar for the National Hurricane Center as we move into the third week of the 2021 hurricane season. Tropical Storm Bill has sustained winds of 50 miles per hour with gusts up to 65 miles per hour, but none of that really matters to central North Carolina. That’s because Bill is a few hundred miles off the coast and getting farther–it’s also expected to start weakening…

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — The second tropical depression of the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane season has developed into Tropical Storm Bill. Earlier Monday, the National Hurricane Center announced that the low pressure system had officially became Tropical Depression Two. Click here for the latest weather forecast. This storm, much like the first of the season Ana, will not pose a threat to people or property on land. Monday 11pm Update: We have a new Tropical Storm….

Are you ready for hurricane season? We’re helping you prepare. Monday at 6:30 p.m., ABC11 will host a virtual roundtable about hurricane season featuring the First Alert Weather team and Meteorologist Nick Patro from Raleigh’s National Weather Service office. You can watch here on ABC11.com, the ABC11 mobile app or the ABC11 North Carolina streaming app. ABC’s Ginger Zee was scheduled to attend but she is on assignment to cover extreme heat. You can watch…

By Sydney Franklin, WRAL multiplatform producer The official start of hurricane season only began weeks ago, and already a tropical depression has formed off the coast of North Carolina. With maximum sustained winds near 35mph, it is expected to become a tropical storm by Monday night. Before the season even became, Subtropical Storm Ana formed in the Atlantic Ocean on May 21. The storm did not have much of an impact on the United States,…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — Sunday’s weather was warm, breezy and less humid than the past week has been. Temperatures reached 87 degrees, but it still felt pleasant outside. But we hope you enjoyed the sunshine, because Monday our chance of rain returns. Monday is expected to be warm, with scattered showers across the Triangle. Some of our communities are under a Level 1 risk for severe weather on Monday. That means…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — You can finally put away the umbrella! The clouds are parting, and the sun will be shining on Sunday. “Make some outdoor plans,” said WRAL meteorologist Zach Maloch. Sunday’s weather will be warm, breezy and less humid than the past week has been. Temperatures reached 87 degrees, but it will still feel pleasant outside. You’ll want to get outside while you can on Sunday, because Monday our…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — Storms are possible through the evening and into the early hours of Saturday, and pockets of heavy rain are possible, WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth said. Northeast counties are under a flash flood watch through the evening, she said. A chance for showers and thunderstorms will remain in place overnight, before kicking off an overcast Saturday. “But, not a bad weekend ahead,” said WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze. Maze…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — Storms are possible through the evening and into the early hours of Saturday, and pockets of heavy rain are possible, WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth said. Northeast counties are under a flash flood watch through the evening, she said. A chance for showers and thunderstorms will remain in place overnight, before kicking off an overcast Saturday. “But, not a bad weekend ahead,” said WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze. Maze…

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Mike Sprayberry is a retired Marine, and after more than 40 years of service to the state of North Carolina, he’s about to also be a retired Emergency Management Director. He’s a guy who’s definitely seen it all. “Our storm of record in the past was Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Then is was Matthew in 2016. Then it was Florence,” Sprayberry told ABC11 in a one-on-one interview inside the Emergency Operations…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — Scattered showers and thunderstorms are back on tap Friday in central and eastern North Carolina. “We’ll see scattered showers and storms pop up this afternoon and stay with us through the evening commute,” WRAL meteorologist Zach Maloch said. “If you have any dinner plans outdoors, just know to grab the umbrella.” Highs Friday are expected to be in the low 80s. Storms are possible through the evening…

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — After yesterday’s heavy rain, more showers and storms are on the way and some of those storms will provide a flash flooding threat for this afternoon and evening. Expect a general 1-2″ of rain today with a few areas seeing anywhere from 3-4″ of rain. The main timing for most of these storms will be between 3pm and 9pm.Rain will continue for tomorrow morning and early afternoon. It’ll be much cooler…

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Hurricane season is here and you need to ask yourself are you protected? Even if you’re not in a flood zone, your home could be flooded and unless you have a separate flood insurance policy, you’re typically not covered. A typical homeowner’s or renter’s policy does not cover flooding, you need a separate flood policy. One option is the Federal Flood Insurance Program through FEMA, but you’re limited to $250,000 coverage…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — Showers are rolling through central North Carolina Thursday afternoon causing flash flood watches to pop up throughout the WRAL viewing area.   It’s the start of a wet stretch that will bring parts of the viewing area 1 to 2 inches of rain over a two-day span. The rain could make for a messy afternoon commute for some. Heavy rains are expected to continue into the evening…

MELBOURNE, Australia — Wild weather in southeast Australia toppled trees, trapping people in cars and houses, cut power to more than 200,000 homes and unleashed flooding that claimed at least one life. The extraordinary weather system that hit Victoria state and its capital, Melbourne, Wednesday night brought wind gusts of up to 119 kilometers (74 miles) per hour and up to 20 centimeters (8 inches) of rain, officials said. The wind and rain moderated on…

NEW DELHI — A dilapidated building collapsed following heavy rains in the western Indian city of Mumbai, killing at least 11 people and injuring seven others, police said Thursday. Heavy monsoon rains during the day Wednesday had flooded several parts of the city that is India’s financial and entertainment capital. The three-story building collapsed late Wednesday night, and police officer Ravindra Kadam said dozens of rescuers were clearing the debris to find any residents possibly…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — Parts of the WRAL viewing area are under a Level 1 risk for severe weather on Wednesday. The main threats will be damaging wind gusts and heavy rain, according to WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth. Storms arrived close to sunset and continue to roll through the state into the midnight hour. “All we need now is a trigger to develop the rain and that trigger will be the…

Efforts to accurately predict hurricanes could take a leap forward this season thanks to a novel idea — sailing drones into the tropical storms. When most of us hear the word “drone” we think of a remote-controlled flying vehicle. But there are sailing drones too. Five of the nautical robots known as Saildrones will be used this summer to continuously gather data throughout the life of a storm. As soon as a tropical depression forms,…

By Keenan Willard, WRAL Eastern North Carolina reporter Seven Springs, N.C. — One small town in eastern North Carolina knows the impact flooding can have better than just about anywhere else. Seven Springs residents say they’ll keep rebuilding, no matter how many times they get knocked down. For decades, the town has been hammered by flooding from the Neuse River. Those who’ve weathered the storm say it’s because they have a town worth fighting for….

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — Parts of the WRAL viewing area are under a Level 1 risk for severe weather on Wednesday. The main threats will be damaging wind gusts and heavy rain, according to WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop after 2 p.m. Storms are expected to arrive close to sunset, but a few spotty showers and storms are possible for the evening commute. “All we need…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Raleigh, N.C. — A great deal of moisture flowing into North Carolina from the Gulf of Mexico is setting the stage for some heavy rainfall in the coming days. Tropical moisture will continue to stream in from the Atlantic and storms could tap into that moisture and produce heavy rain. “All we need now is a trigger to develop the rain and that trigger will be the low pressure system…