Severe storms with tornadoes kill at least 3 in the central US

Severe storms with tornadoes kill at least 3 in the central US

Severe storms with probable tornadoes tore through several central U.S. states, damaging homes and businesses and killing at least three people, with more bodies likely to be discovered, authorities said. As the sun rose Friday, officials scrambled to assess the extent of the destruction with the power out. The three deaths came in Logan County, Ohio, according to the sheriff’s office there. Thursday night’s storms also left trails of destruction in Kentucky, Indiana and Arkansas….

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Thousands coming from state to prevent flooding in Orange County

Thousands coming from state to prevent flooding in Orange County

The communities of Orange County and Chapel Hill have recently experienced massive floods that have resulted in flash flood warnings and school cancellations. On Jan. 9, there was a flood watch for both areas. Many public schools in Orange County and Chapel Hill were closed or delayed due to students not being able to get to and from school. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill moved to a Condition 1 status, which is…

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Firefighters keep up battle to stamp out largest wildfire in Texas history

Firefighters keep up battle to stamp out largest wildfire in Texas history

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — Planes dropped fire retardant over the Texas Panhandle on Sunday and a small community was ordered to evacuate as firefighters kept up efforts to stamp out the largest wildfire in state history while contending with new blazes. Strong winds spread the flames further, prompting an evacuation order to be issued in Sanford, a town of a little more than 100 residents, according to the Amarillo office of the National Weather Service,…

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Don't get iced by scammers while trying to score Carolina Hurricanes tickets

Don't get iced by scammers while trying to score Carolina Hurricanes tickets

A viewer reached out to WRAL News to say he lost $260 while trying to buy Carolina Hurricanes tickets in a Facebook group. Another person in the group said he lost $180 for two tickets. The Better Business Bureau warns people to be smart with online ticket purchases, which is a problem the agency has seen for years. The bureau urges buyers to use a trusted seller that the team partners with instead of a…

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California braces for flooding again as another wet winter storm hits

California braces for flooding again as another wet winter storm hits

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The latest in a series of wet winter storms gained strength in California early Monday, with forecasters warning of possible flooding, hail, strong winds and even brief tornadoes as the system moves south over the next few days. Gusts topped 30 mph (48 kph) in Oakland and San Jose as a mild cold front late Saturday gave way to a more powerful storm on Sunday, said meteorologist Brayden Murdock with the…

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Sebastian Aho scores in OT to lift Hurricanes over Devils 1-0

Sebastian Aho scores in OT to lift Hurricanes over Devils 1-0

By The Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. — RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sebastian Aho scored 3:40 into overtime to give the Carolina Hurricanes a 1-0 win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night. Aho knocked a rebound of a Martin Necas shot out of midair past New Jersey goalie Vitek Vanecek for the only goal of the game. “It was a good play by (Necas) to cut through the middle and get a shot off,”…

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La Niña watch issued: What it means for hurricane season and North Carolina

La Niña watch issued: What it means for hurricane season and North Carolina

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a La Niña watch on Thursday. We remain in an El Niño period for now, but it is weakening. We are expected to briefly go into an El Niño neutral period during the spring and then La Niña could take over during the June-July-August time frame. What to look for out of La Niña. It’s very common to have a quick transition from an El Niño to a…

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Should we fear Category 6? Meteorologists weigh in on proposed hurricane scale expansion

Should we fear Category 6? Meteorologists weigh in on proposed hurricane scale expansion

A handful of super powerful tropical storms in the last decade and the possibility of more in the future has led some experts to propose another category of major hurricanes: Category 6. Studies have shown that the strongest tropical storms are getting more intense because of climate change. So, the traditional five-category Saffir-Simpson scale, developed in 1971, may not show the true power of the most muscular storms, two climate scientists suggest in a Monday…

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Rare tornado warning issued for San Diego County as historic storm still threatens California

Rare tornado warning issued for San Diego County as historic storm still threatens California

LOS ANGELES (AP) — One of the wettest storms in Southern California history unleashed more than 300 mudslides in the Los Angeles area after dumping more than half of the city’s seasonal rainfall in just two days, and officials warned Tuesday that the threat hadn’t passed yet. The storm continued to pose new hazards Tuesday, with the National Weather Service issuing a rare tornado warning for inland parts of San Diego County until 12:15 p.m.,…

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Dial it up to Category 6? As warming stokes storms, some want a bigger hurricane category

Dial it up to Category 6? As warming stokes storms, some want a bigger hurricane category

A handful of super powerful tropical storms in the last decade and the prospect of more to come has a couple of experts proposing a new category of whopper hurricanes: Category 6. Studies have shown that the strongest tropical storms are getting more intense because of climate change. So the traditional five-category Saffir-Simpson scale, developed more than 50 years ago, may not show the true power of the most muscular storms, two climate scientists suggest…

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Louisiana and Texas Face Flooding, With More Rain Expected Across the South

Louisiana and Texas Face Flooding, With More Rain Expected Across the South

Heavy downpours over parts of Louisiana and Texas this week have caused significant flooding, meteorologists and officials said, and more rain is forecast to soak the region through the end of the week. As of Thursday morning, Brenham, Texas, between Austin and Houston, had received more than 12 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service. Other Texas cities had recorded rainfall totals of 4 to 11 inches. Conditions were so bad Wednesday in…

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Another round of severe weather: Duke Energy prepares for more fallen trees, power outages

Another round of severe weather: Duke Energy prepares for more fallen trees, power outages

As the Triangle faces a third day of severe weather this week, staff at Duke Energy says they are in ‘reset mode’ after storms just a few days ago left thousands of people without power. While some locals are cleaning up debris and fallen trees, Friday brings more potential for damaging winds, isolated tornadoes and localized flooding. WRAL spoke with Jeff Brooks from Duke Energy, who says it’s unusual to see multiple level 3 risk…

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NC Chinese Lantern Festival closed for season after storm damage

NC Chinese Lantern Festival closed for season after storm damage

The North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival is closing several days early after Tuesday night’s severe storms caused damage to a festival centerpiece and other lanterns. The festival, which was scheduled to end Sunday, Jan. 14, is shut to the public, ending more than five days early. The festival venue itself, Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre, was not damaged in Tuesday’s storms, but a spokesperson said one of the festival’s largest lanterns — the dragon boat on…

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NC Chinese Lantern Festival shut to public several days early after storm damage

NC Chinese Lantern Festival shut to public several days early after storm damage

The North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival is closing several days early after Tuesday night’s severe storms caused damage to a festival centerpiece and other lanterns. The festival, which was scheduled to end Sunday, Jan. 14, is shut to the public, ending more than five days early. The festival venue itself, Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre, was not damaged in Tuesday’s storms, but a spokesperson said one of the festival’s largest lanterns — the dragon boat on…

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EF-1 tornado confirmed in Catawba County, where 1 dead, 4 injured in storms

EF-1 tornado confirmed in Catawba County, where 1 dead, 4 injured in storms

The National Weather Service has confirmed an EF-1 tornado in Catawba County, where one person died from severe weather and four others were critically injured. According to Catawba County Communications, the person died around 1 p.m. along Evening Drive, located south of Old Catawba Road. On Wednesday, the National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado in the Claremont community. Catawba County Emergency Management announced Tuesday it would open up a temporary shelter after about 30…

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