Raleigh North Carolina News

Months after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across western North Carolina, thousands of private wells may still be contaminated, leaving families unsure if their drinking water is safe. Floodwaters from the storm damaged homes, displaced residents and potentially tainted water supplies with harmful bacteria like E. coli. State and local health officials are offering free water testing kits through county health departments, but so far, fewer than half of the distributed kits have been used. According…

FAIRVIEW, N.C. (AP) — Vice President-elect JD Vance on Friday surveyed damage from Hurricane Helene and talked to first responders in western North Carolina in one of his first public appearances since the November election. The hurricane struck in late September and caused at least $53 billion in damage in North Carolina, according to a state government estimate. More than 100 North Carolina residents died from the storm, which the state estimates damaged over 120,000…

Saturday marked the final day of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. The season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. This year saw 18 named storms, 11 of which were hurricanes, meaning the winds reached 74 mph or greater. Five reached major hurricane status at Category 3 or higher intensity (winds of at least 111 mph). On average, there are seven hurricanes per season. Under the right conditions, tropical systems can take shape outside of…

Saturday marks the final day of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. The season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. This year saw 18 named storms, 11 of which were hurricanes, meaning the winds reached 74 mph or greater. Five reached major hurricane status at Category 3 or higher intensity (winds of at least 111 mph). On average, there are seven hurricanes per season. Under the right conditions, tropical systems can take shape outside of…

For nearly a decade, officials have identified west Raleigh as the city’s next “it” district. Now it appears to actually be happening. The Carolina Hurricanes’ planned $1-billion redevelopment around Lenovo Center, the club’s home arena on Edwards Mill Road, is the centerpiece of this reimagining. But the NHL franchise is far from alone in making big moves in the area. “There’s so much potential that can happen out there,” said Philip Isley, a former Raleigh…

Fans without cable or streaming apps can watch the Carolina Hurricanes play for free during the week of Thanksgiving. The games – Tuesday, Nov. 25, and Friday, Nov. 29 – will be simulcast on broadcast television. “We are thrilled to partner with The Carolina Hurricanes and provide North Carolina with the opportunity to watch the best hockey team in the country,” said Joel Davis, VP & General Manager WRAL & FOX 50. “This partnership reflects…

There has been a huge difference between the rain we saw before Helene vs. the rain we’ve seen since Helene. Rain before vs. after Helene in Raleigh, NC It turns out there was a study in 2022 at Florida State University that looked into how often drought developed after landfalling tropical systems. Since 2000, it’s actually rare to see that happen. Four of the 30 storms analyzed had a flash drought develop shortly after their…

NEWLAND, N.C. (AP) — The Cartner family had known since last year that one of their farm’s Christmas trees would be headed to the White House this winter. But then Hurricane Helene struck, unleashing a deadly deluge across western North Carolina, including Avery County, where Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm has stood for decades. Though the farm lost thousands of trees to a mudslide, many more survived, including a 20-foot conical tree that dwarfs most of…

Almost two months after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on western North Carolina, Republican lawmakers grilled officials Monday over how they handled two other hurricanes that hit the state several years ago. As part of a massive $3.9 billion Helene recovery package presented to legislators last month, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper included a request for more money to finish housing projects in eastern North Carolina still pending from Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in…

It’s that time of year again! The WRAL Severe Weather team is ready to unveil our winter weather predictions. This year, we analyzed four key factors: La Niña, accumulated cyclone energy or ACE, Siberian snow cover and climate trends. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there’s a 60% chance that a La Niña will develop later this month. In La Niña years, storm tracks stay north of our region and keep the…

Nearly two months after Hurricane Helene tore through Western North Carolina, the region is still hurting with a long road to recovery. While efforts to rebuild are underway, many local businesses and their employees continue to face significant challenges. Ed Haag, a restaurant worker in the area, said the economic strain has been felt deeply by both workers and residents. “I see a lot of people who are scared, and there’s a bit of desperation,”…

Nearly three months after Hurricane Helene tore through Western North Carolina, the region is still hurting with a long road to recovery. While efforts to rebuild are underway, many local businesses and their employees continue to face significant challenges. Ed Haag, a restaurant worker in the area, said the economic strain has been felt deeply by both workers and residents. “I see a lot of people who are scared, and there’s a bit of desperation,”…

By Curt Anderson, Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays will play their 2025 home games at the New York Yankees’ nearby spring training ballpark amid uncertainty about the future of hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field, Rays executives told The Associated Press. Stuart Sternberg, the Rays’ principal owner, said in an interview that Steinbrenner Field in Tampa is the best fit for the team and its fanbase. At about 11,000 seats, it’s also…

By MATTHEW COLES, Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY — SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Nick Bjugstad scored his second goal of the game to cap the Utah Hockey Club’s three-goal flurry in a 2 1/2-minute span of the third period in a 4-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night. Jack McBain and Mikhail Sergachev also scored for Utah, which won at home after losing three of four on the road. Michael Kesselring had…

ERWIN, Tenn. (Gray News) – A body that was buried in North Carolina was washed into Tennessee due to flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in September, according to Erwin Police Chief Regan Tilson. Officials said the body was buried in Whitson Cemetery in Yancey County in 2006. The flood waters washed the body to Unicoi County. Details about the identification of the body were not released. Helene brought widespread devastation to western North Carolina, causing…