Raleigh North Carolina News

RIO DE JANEIRO — Two days of heavy rains caused flooding and landslides in southeast Brazil that have killed at least 30 people, authorities said Saturday. Civil Defense officials said 17 people are listed as missing and 2,600 were evacuated from their houses in Minas Gerais state, which has been buffeted by 48 hours of torrential rains. The death toll had stood at 11 earlier Saturday. Deaths were reported in the capital of Belo Horizonte…

Severe storms are possible in the Triangle this weekend, bringing risks of heavy rain, strong winds and an isolated tornado, forecasters say. Thunderstorm chances start at 10 p.m. Friday and … Click to Continue »

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Rod Brind’Amour had a vague notion about North Carolina growing up, “I watched the NC State win, Jim Valvano, I think I was 11 or 12 or something. I remember watching that and then everyone on my street playing basketball was trying to be Michael Jordan.” Brind’Amour certainly never envisioned living in North Carolina though, especially once his NHL career had landed him in Philadelphia. He was a Flyer through and…

SYDNEY — Three Americans were killed when a C-130 Hercules aerial water tanker crashed while battling wildfires in the Snowy Monaro region of Australia’s southern New South Wales state. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the deaths and crash in comments to reporters as Australia attempts to deal with an unprecedented fire season that has left a large swath of destruction. Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says all three aboard were U.S. residents….

SYDNEY — Three Americans were killed when a C-130 Hercules aerial water tanker crashed while battling wildfires in the Snowy Monaro region of Australia’s southern New South Wales state. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the deaths and crash in comments to reporters as Australia attempts to deal with an unprecedented fire season that has left a large swath of destruction. Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says all three aboard were U.S. residents….

SYDNEY — Three Americans were killed when a C-130 Hercules aerial water tanker crashed while battling wildfires in the Snowy Monaro region of Australia’s southern New South Wales state. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the deaths and crash in comments to reporters as Australia attempts to deal with an unprecedented fire season that has left a large swath of destruction. Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says all three aboard were U.S. residents….

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (WTVD) — An Italian restaurant in Australia baked a 338-foot pizza to raise money for firefighters battling the devastating wildfires across the continent. The owners of Pellegrini’s, a restaurant in Sydney, said they baked the 16-inch wide and 338-foot long pizza in a conveyor oven Sunday before slicing it into 4,000 pieces. RELATED: Australia fires: Here’s how to help firefighters, victims, animals The pizza was longer than a US football field, which is…

Experts from Stanford University are calling for more prescribed burns to prevent devastating wildfires in California, pointing to new research that asks why the approach hasn’t been pursued more aggressively … Click to Continue »

By Jessie Yeung, CNN Parts of southeastern Australia are being pelted by hailstones the size of golf balls, big enough to smash car windows and injure birds, less than 24 hours after the region was hit by massive dust storms. The hailstorms arrived in the national capital Canberra on Monday afternoon, covering the ground with white balls of ice and leaves that have been stripped from trees. People ran for cover, and drivers pulled off…

RIO DE JANEIRO — At least six people have died and at least one more was missing Sunday following torrential rains in southern Brazil, authorities said. Meteorologists said nearly 250 millimeters (10 inches) of rain devastated parts of Espiritu Santo state starting Friday, though the rains had tapered off by Sunday. State firefighters reported three dead in the town of Alfredo Chaves and three others in Iconha, where at least one woman was missing. Rescue…

By Payton Tysinger, TV News Production Assistant at WRAL Payton Tysinger and Jilly Kuehn, both broadcast journalism students at UNC-Chapel Hill, are visiting Marsh Harbor in the Bahamas’ Abaco Islands to see firsthand how residents are recovering months after Hurricane Dorian. This is their first report. Abaco Islands, Bahamas — Hurricane Dorian made landfall in Marsh Harbor on Sept. 1. Nearly five months later, the residents are still living among the rubble that was their…

A Puerto Rican emergency management official was ousted after a warehouse was discovered with supplies dating back to Hurricane Maria. A video posted to Facebook shows a warehouse in Ponce filled with thousands of cases of water and other much-needed supplies that are believed to have dated back to the hurricane that struck the island in 2017 With this new discovery, Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez has dismissed Carlos Acevedo, the director of Puerto Rico’s…

When Dougie Hamilton went down Thursday night with his left leg twisted underneath him, the healthiest team in the NHL lost that distinction in about as damaging a way as … Click to Continue »

The Carolina Hurricanes’ first game without Dougie Hamilton did not go well for the home team. Sam Steel’s goal at 1:36 of overtime gave the Anaheim Ducks a 2-1 victory … Click to Continue »

NOAA Satellites captured this Hurricane Florence moment. … Click to Continue »

Global warming made Hurricane Florence wider and wetter, a study published this month in the journal Science Advances confirmed. Days before Florence made landfall in September 2018, a team from … Click to Continue »

LORIS, South Carolina — Surveillance video from a high school in South Carolina shows the moments when a tornado swept through flipping the cars in the parking lot. The EF-1 tornado with 90 mph winds swept across Loris High School on Monday, January 13, according to the National Weather Service. Video from a security camera at the school shows the twister lifting up and turning over several cars in the parking lot while flinging minor…

SAMPSON COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) — Storms moving through Sampson County damaged the roof of the gym at Union Intermediate Elementary School while students were in the building. A spokesperson for Sampson County Schools said part of the roof near the back part of the school’s gym blew off. Children were in the gym at the time, but they ran the other way as some debris flew in. Three children were taken to the hospital. The…

WEAVERVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) — A Buncombe County nonprofit is putting their sewing machines to work to churn out pouches to help save baby kangaroos, wallabies, koalas and wombats in Australia. After hearing of the tragic wildfires in Australia, a group at 5 Little Monkeys Quilt & Sew in Weaverville called “Grateful Threads” has started sewing pouches for the marsupials impacted. Marsupials are a species of mammals that carry their young in a pouch. The owner…

A line of showers and storms is moving rapidly through the region early this morning. There have been numerous Severe Thunderstorm Warnings issued and two Tornado Warnings were issued for parts of Cumberland and Hoke counties, but fortunately there were no reports of a tornado. The line of storms was weakening and should be out of the viewing area by 2 a.m. A few scattered showers will continue overnight, and it will stay very warm…

Storm system this afternoon across the Tennessee Valley will continue to track off to the northeast towards the Ohio Valley. This will send a surface cold front through the region later tonight. Winds will increase throughout the night as this system moves to the east, it will bring a line of showers and a thunderstorm to the region later tonight. There can be some locally gusty, damaging winds as the line moves through as the…

BURRAGATE, Australia — A firefighter was killed by a falling tree while battling the Australian wildfire crisis overnight and the prime minister on Sunday said his government was adapting and building resilience to the fire danger posed by climate change. Bill Slade – one of the few professionals among mainly volunteer brigades battling blazes across southeast Australia – died on Saturday near Omeo in eastern Victoria state, Forest Fire Management Victoria Executive Director Chris Hardman…

OIL CITY, Louisiana — Three people were found dead in their storm-damaged homes in two Louisiana parishes. A man was killed overnight when a tree hit his home during severe weather in Oil City, Louisiana, near Shreveport. High winds brought down the tree onto the man’s home. He was alive for a time in the wreckage, but deputies say he eventually died after speaking to them. So far, this is the only death reported in…

The weather feels more like April than January this weekend, with warm, moist air and even the potential for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Unseasonably warm weather makes Saturday a great time to enjoy outdoor activities, even with cloudy skies. But as we head into Saturday evening and overnight, a cold front brings the potential for strong or even severe storms, putting the Triangle under a level 1 threat for severe weather. A strong system currently…

By TERRY WALLACE and JEFF MARTIN, Associated Press DALLAS — Tornadoes destroyed homes in Arkansas and Missouri and also caused damage in Oklahoma as severe storms threatened much of the South over the weekend, officials said. The national Storm Prediction Center said more than 18 million people in Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma were at an enhanced risk of storms Friday, including from strong tornadoes, flooding rains and wind gusts that could exceed 80 mph…

The Triangle has seven consecutive days of 60+ degree weather to look forward to this weekend and into next week. However, a potential for rain and even severe weather may dampen weekend plans. Friday has been a mild but cloudy day with temperatures around the mid 60s. Saturday and Sunday both break into the low to mid 70s. Saturday brings Raleigh close to the record high of 76 degrees, reached over 100 years ago in…

By Elizabeth Gardner, WRAL meteorologist The Triangle has 7 consecutive days of 60+ degree weather to look forward to this weekend and into next week. However, a potential for rain and even severe weather may dampen weekend plans. Friday is mild and cloudy, with a high around 65. Saturday and Sunday both break into the low to mid 70s. Saturday brings Raleigh close to the record high of 76 degrees, reached over 100 years ago…

SYDNEY, Austrialia — U.S. firefighters were met with spontaneous applause as they arrived at the Sydney International Airport in Australia this week to aid the country battling wildfires that have killed 25 people and destroyed 2,000 homes. Video shared on social media by NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons showed the latest group of firefighters arriving in battle the fires in Victoria. Bystanders welcomed the team with cheers and applause. “Coming through, all gathered…

As Australian wildfires endanger the lives of thousands of koalas, one dog is stepping up to save her fellow furry friends. Taylor, a four-year-old English Springer Spaniel, is trained to sniff out koala fur and droppings, said her owner and professional dog trainer Ryan Tate. To date, Taylor has rescued eight of the country’s iconic marsupials from wildfires, which have destroyed more than 2,000 homes, claimed at least 26 human lives and potentially killed thousands…

LEXINGTON, N.C. (WTVD) — Students at one North Carolina high school are stepping up to help Australia. Some of the worst wildfires in the country’s history have been burning out of control, killing dozens of people and millions of animals. Troubled by the tragedy, art students at Oak Grove High School in Davidson County came up with a unique fundraising idea. SEE ALSO: How you can help firefighters, victims, animals in Australia “If we take…

RALEIGH — The Hibernian Pub in Raleigh is holding a fundraiser to help firefighters battling wildfires in Australia. You can help! On Thursday, Jan. 16, 10 percent of all sales at the pub will be donated to firefighters’ efforts. The pub is at 311 Glenwood Avenue. SEE ALSO : 24 charged with deliberately setting fires in Austalia The wildfires have burned millions of acres, killing at least 25. Thousands of firefighters from all over the…

By ROD McGUIRK, Associated Press CANBERRA, Australia — Thunderstorms and showers brought some relief for firefighters battling deadly wildfires across Australia’s drought-parched east coast on Wednesday, but also raised concerns that lightning will spark more fires before dangerous hot and windy conditions return. Around 2,300 firefighters in New South Wales state were making the most of relatively benign conditions by frantically consolidating containment lines around more than 110 blazes and patrolling for lightning strikes, state…

RALEIGH (WTVD) — The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Justin Williams to a one-year contract for the rest of the 2020 season. The contract will pay Williams a base salary of $700,000, and he can earn an additional $1.3 million in potential bonuses based on individual and team play in the regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs. Williams, 38, has recorded 786 points in 1,244 career NHL games with the Hurricanes, Flyers, Kings and Capitals….

By Edmy Ayala, Patricia Mazzei, Frances Robles and Sandra E. Garcia, New York Times PONCE, Puerto Rico — The auditorium where Lenda Torres Rodríguez and some of her neighbors sought refuge on Tuesday after the latest in a series of earthquakes convulsed Puerto Rico seemed almost as unreliable as the houses they had abandoned. Every time a new aftershock hit, the windows made ominous cracking sounds. So they huddled outside on beach chairs, or hunkered…

Anaheim, California, has re-upped its contract with Environmental Land Management in order to use goats year-round for wildfire prevention, NPR reported. There have been goats grazing in places including Deer … Click to Continue »

A disaster relief contractor working in North Carolina after Hurricane Florence stiffed employees out of about $185,000 in pay, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The company, MLU Services … Click to Continue »

By NICK PERRY and KRISTEN GELINEAU, Associated Press SYDNEY — Australia’s government said Monday it was willing to pay “whatever it takes” to help communities recover from deadly wildfires that have ravaged the country. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government was committing an extra 2 billion Australian dollars ($1.4 billion) toward the recovery effort in addition to the tens of millions of dollars that have already been promised. “The fires are still burning. And…

Not even a brutal schedule is slowing the Tampa Bay Lightning. Steven Stamkos had a goal and an assist, Nikita Kucherov had two assists and Tampa Bay beat the Carolina … Click to Continue »

Two more people are missing in remote parts of New South Wales state as rain and cooler temperatures brought some measure of relief Monday to Australian communities battling wildfires. But … Click to Continue »

Just like Roy Williams had a premonition Saturday’s North Carolina basketball debacle was coming when he spoke to his already-listless team before the game, Rod Brind’Amour seemed to sense a … Click to Continue »

Actress Nicole Kidman and country singer Keith Urban are joining in on the list of celebrities to help firefighters battle the deadly wildfires in Australia. The couple took to Instagram saying that they will donate $500,000 to the rural fire services. “Our family’s support, thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the fires all over Australia,” both couples posted to Instagram. “We are donating $500,000 to the Rural Fire Services who are all doing…

By CNN Newsource The Irwin family is continuing Steve Irwin’s legacy of rescuing and saving wildlife in danger. Bindi Irwin, Steve’s daughter, and the rest of the Irwin family have rescued and treated over 90,000 animals, many of which were injured in Australia’s recent devastating wildfires. Ollie, an orphaned platypus, was patient number 90,000 at the Wildlife Hospital, Bindi’s brother, Robert Irwin, said on Instagram. “With so many devastating fires within Australia, my heart breaks…

By NICK PERRY, Associated Press SYDNEY — It has been described as Australia’s Galapagos Islands and has long been a refuge for some of the country’s most endangered creatures. But devastating wildfires over recent days have undone decades of careful conservation work on Kangaroo Island and have threatened to wipe out some of the island’s unique fauna altogether. Experts working on the island say the fires have killed thousands of koalas and kangaroos, and also…

Devastated by the deadly wildfires in Australia, American pop singer Pink says she is pledging a donation of $500,000 to battle the blaze. “I am totally devastated watching what is happening in Australia right now with the horrific bushfires,” the pop star tweeted Saturday. “I am pledging a donation of $500,000 directly to the local fire services that are battling so hard on the frontlines. My heart goes out to our friends and family in…

By NINIEK KARMINI, Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia — Landslides and floods triggered by torrential downpours have left at least 60 people dead in and around Indonesia’s capital, as rescuers struggled to search for people apparently buried under tons of mud, officials said Saturday. Monsoon rains and rising rivers submerged a dozen districts in the greater Jakarta area and caused landslides that buried at least a dozen people. National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Agus Wibowo said…

It’s hard at the exact midpoint of the season to see the possibility of the playoffs somewhere down the line, so take full enjoyment from games like this, the manifestation … Click to Continue »

Tens of thousands of Indonesians were crammed in emergency shelters Saturday waiting for floodwaters to recede in and around the capital, Jakarta, as the death toll from massive New Year’s … Click to Continue »

Fire tornadoes formed Thursday as wildfires continue to rage in Australia, eyewitness video shows. Brenton Davis, who shot video of one of the tornadoes, said in a Facebook post that it had formed on the north coast of Kangaroo Island, which sits off the coast of south-central Australia. “We had a fair few [fire tornadoes] today and it wasn’t even a hot day,” Davis said. More than 200 fires were burning across the country, officials…