Raleigh North Carolina News

The North Carolina National Guard is investigating reports that a helicopter blew away hurricane relief supplies in the western part of the state.  Officials from the state’s National Guard said a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crew has been grounded. This comes after the crew flew over a Hurricane Helene relief site and caused items to blow away.  Three tents and donated items from the local distribution set up were scattered from rotor wash while the crew…

Hospitals in western North Carolina have been overwhelmed since Hurricane Helene caused devastation across the region. Helene’s aftermath has put a strain on Mission Hospital in Asheville. However, the hospital got federal relief from tents outside, which allows hospital staff to take care of more people. “This is a free-standing medical unit that could be built anywhere,” said Byron Piatt, who works as the team commander for a disaster medical assistance group. The group is…

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) is bracing for the impact of Florida’s largest evacuation since Hurricane Irma in 2017. Tampa International Airport closed Tuesday in anticipation of Hurricane Milton, and Orlando International Airport is expected to close on Wednesday. “Had to cut our flight short, our trip short because they are closing the airport tomorrow. The Orlando airport is being closed tomorrow morning, so we had to reschedule our flight.Traffic was stop and go coming in…

At the top of Beech Mountain, more than 5,000 feet above sea level, Fred Pfohl was cut off when Hurricane Helene washed out roads down below. “We were very, very fortunate,” Pfohl said. His store, Fred’s Mercantile, is a source of necessities for a remote community. And for almost three days, they were cut off. “Part of our problem was the one and only road coming up Beech Mountain was totally cut in two,” Pfohl…

Kali White was in an Airbnb in Asheville when Hurricane Helene brought devastating flooding to western North Carolina. Video she posted Friday, Sept. 27, on TikTok shows a river of fast-moving brown water surrounding the home she rented for a bachelorette party. White and her girlfriends were in the midst of a celebration. As the maid of honor, White had planned every detail of the weekend — except the historic flooding overtaking the mountains. White…

As people in the western part of North Carolina try to put their lives back together following Hurricane Helene, a WRAL Investigation found some of those hit by another tropical system three years ago are still waiting for major help. FEMA awarded $13 million in relief to Haywood County, just outside of Asheville. Several people died when the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred hit in 2021. WRAL Investigates found that money to help people find…

Friday was the first day Alpha Automotive’s owner, Alex Burgess, could take in the damage to his shop since he was pulled from the rubble after an EF3 tornado in Rocky Mount brought the walls down around him.  Burgess said he’s had many sleepless nights looking back on Sept. 27, the day the tornado hit. “Every time I close my eyes, I see stuff falling on me,” he said. Security camera footage shows the last…

Hurricane Milton has intensified to a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 175 mph as it moves through the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. The storm’s rapid intensification highlights how climate change is driving stronger, faster-developing hurricanes, fueled by rising sea surface temperatures. Climate Central reports that Milton experienced “extreme rapid intensification,” defined as an increase of 58 mph or more within 24 hours. Milton far surpassed this, with winds increasing by 92 mph in…

If you’ve been impacted by Hurricane Helene, you may be eligible for federal assistance through FEMA. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to access the funds and what to expect. Step 1: Apply for FEMA Assistance Start by visiting [DisasterAssistance.gov]. This is where you’ll apply for financial relief from FEMA. To complete the application, you’ll need to provide the following information: – Your home address – Social Security number – A list of lost or…

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Milton strengthened into a major hurricane Monday on a path toward Florida population centers including Tampa and Orlando, threatening a storm surge as high as 12 feet in Tampa Bay and setting the stage for potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline. Milton grew into a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 kph) over the southern Gulf…

As the western half of our state continues the long road to recovery from Helene, the rumor mill has swirled about “another storm coming to North Carolina.” That is simply not true. Hurricane Milton, no doubt, is a powerful storm. Its projected path, however, is south of Central and Western North Carolina. Let’s explain why we don’t expect major, direct impacts from the storm. The western side of a storm system tends to be the…

An Avery County man was released from the hospital on Saturday night and reunited with his sons, after sharing that flooding from Hurricane Helene killed his wife. Jamie and Melissa Guinn had four children and were just weeks away from celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. Jamie told WRAL News he would also get her something small around Halloween because that was the day he proposed to her. “She had a dark sense of humor, but…

An Avery County man is recovering in the hospital Saturday night as he says flooding from Hurricane Helene killed his wife. Jamie and Melissa Gunn had four children, three of which came from Melissa’s previous marriage, and were just weeks away from celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. He said he would also get her something small around Halloween because that was the day he proposed to her. “She had a dark sense of humor, but…

BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. — The last time Drew McLean’s parents saw him, he was marveling at the power of Tropical Storm Helene as it washed over their home in the mountains of North Carolina. He and his mother found that a large tree had split in the front yard and another had been pushed by surging water into McLean’s car, tipping it on its side. Amid the chaos, McLean, 45, offered his mother a comforting…

You can’t see the floor at Micheal Danford’s home in Old Fort. It’s covered in mud – a lingering sign of the floodwaters that filled her home last week. Many of their belongings are waterlogged. “This mud is just on everything,” she said while guiding a WRAL News crew through her home. Danford said they spent hours shoveling mud from inside their home to the outside. Included in those piles were damaged belongings. However, they…