Raleigh North Carolina News

By Brian Shrader, WRAL reporter When a tornado threatens, an extra minute of warning could mean the difference between life and death. Advances in Doppler radar technology have given meteorologists a better chance of detecting tornadoes and issuing timely warnings. These days, the National Weather Service is able to warn about 10 minutes before a tornado strikes, but research indicates those lead times have plateaued in recent years. Meteorologists are searching for new ways to…

Live cameras show the impact of Tropical Storm Elsa. Folly Beach, S.C. Live from Myrtle Beach, S.C. Live from Southern Pines, N.C. Live from downtown Clayton Raleigh skyline from Dorothea Dix Park Beaufort, N.C., from the Beaufort Hotel Cape Fear River, downtown Wilmington Carolina Beach Frying Pan Ocean camera powered by Explore.org More On This

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — A weakened but resilient Tropical Storm Elsa drenched northern Florida and southern Georgia with heavy rain Wednesday, killing at least one person near the state line and threatening to maintain tropical storm intensity until it reaches New England. To get the latest weather alerts sent straight to your phone, download the ABC11 mobile app The National Hurricane Center said Elsa still packed 45 mph winds more than six hours after making…

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A weakened but resilient Tropical Storm Elsa killed at least one person in Florida on Wednesday and injured several others when a possible tornado struck a campground at a Navy base in southeast Georgia. The National Hurricane Center said Elsa still packed 45 mph (72 kph) winds more than nine hours after making landfall along Florida’s northern Gulf Coast. The storm’s center was sweeping over eastern Georgia by 2 a.m. Thursday….

By Heather Leah, WRAL multiplatform producer Most North Carolinians can name the most devastating hurricanes of their lifetimes – and those names come along with scary memories and sad memories. Hugo. Fran. Floyd. Florence. Hazel. We know how much damage the destructive winds and floods can cause in modern times. But how much damage did these monster storms cause in the centuries before hurricanes had names? How did pre-Revolutionary colonies planted right on the coastline…

RALEIGH (WTVD) — Don’t dismiss this as just rain with a name. As Tropical Storm Elsa blows towards North Carolina, emergency officials are elevating the state’s preparedness in case of flash floods, tornadoes and power outages. “Much of Central North Carolina and Eastern North Carolina are in the zone for potential impact,” William Ray, the incoming Director of North Carolina Emergency Management, said on Wednesday. “We’ve chosen to activate the EOC here and make sure…

By Monica Laliberte, WRAL executive producer/5 On Your Side reporter Hurricane history has taught us that a tropical system moving through North Carolina can be devastating for anyone – no matter how far inland you live. One woman learned this lesson personally when Florence flooded her home, destroying 75% of her belongings. “It seems silly,” said Barbara Pilcher, “But you think, ‘Where’s that recipe? Oh yeah, Florence took it.’” Florence, the thief – or hurricane…

By Elizabeth Gardner, WRAL meteorologist Storms that move into North Carolina after a Gulf of Mexico or Florida panhandle landfall have the potential to be particularly devastating. Wind damage and flooding aren’t the only threats from hurricanes. More than half of hurricanes also produce at least one tornado after making landfall. In 2020, Hurricane Isaias spawned 12 tornadoes in North Carolina. The strongest was an EF-3 in Bertie County that killed two people. Sometimes, the…

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — 11 a.m.: Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall along the North Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday morning, arriving in Taylor County. The National Hurricane Center’s 11 a.m. update says Elsa is moving north at 14 mph with maximum sustained winds at 65 mph. Elsa is now forecast to impact North Carolina Thursday as a strong Tropical Depression. A weakened Elsa dumped rain across Florida’s northern Gulf Coast early Wednesday but appears to…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Elsa has returned to tropical storm status and is expected to maintain that strength as it passes through North Carolina on Thursday, according to the 5 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The track continues to move west, which means a bigger impact for our area. The NHC issued a Tropical Storm Watch for North Carolina’s coastal waters initially with the watch extended west to some inland counties…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Elsa has returned to tropical storm status and is expected to maintain that strength as it passes through North Carolina on Thursday, according to the 5 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The track continues to move west, which means a bigger impact for our area. The NHC issued a Tropical Storm Watch for North Carolina’s coastal waters initially with the watch extended west to some inland counties…

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Tropical Storm Elsa is expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday morning and make its way into North Carolina by Thursday. To get the latest weather alerts sent straight to your phone, download the ABC11 mobile app New details from the National Weather Service slightly weakened the storm from hurricane status Tuesday night down to a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour. Practically speaking, there’s…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Elsa has returned to tropical storm status and is forecast to be a tropical storm as it passes through North Carolina, according to the 2 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center. The National Weather Service has also issued a Tropical Storm Watch for North Carolina’s coastal waters until further notice, as Elsa nears Florida. Swells of 5 to 8 feet are possible, along with tropical storm force winds. As…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center Elsa is forecast to be a tropical storm as it passes through North Carolina, according to the 11 p.m. update from the National Hurricane Center. The National Weather Service has also issued a Tropical Storm Watch for North Carolina’s coastal waters until further notice, as Tropical Storm Elsa nears Florida. Swells of 5 to 8 feet are possible, along with tropical storm force winds. As the tropical storm watch remains…

By WRAL Severe Weather Center The National Weather Service has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for North Carolina’s coastal waters until further notice, as Tropical Storm Elsa nears Florida. Swells of 5 to 8 feet are possible, along with tropical storm force winds. Elsa gained enough strength over the open water of the Gulf of Mexico to become a Category 1 Hurricane, according to the 8 p.m. update from the National Hurricane Center. The latest…