Raleigh North Carolina News

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Seven residents were evacuated from a Chapel Hill apartment complex after severe storms caused the apartments to flood. Residents were knee-deep in floodwaters Tuesday night at the Camelot Village apartment complex off Estes Drive. This is an area that frequently sees flooding because of a creek in the middle of the complex. WRAL News got video from inside from a woman who lives in a ground floor apartment that showed how bad the flooding was…

On TV and online, our team of meteorologists often reference a threat for severe weather on a scale of 1 through 5 with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. Spring is the top severe weather season in NC, but storms can come at any time, so it is important you understand what these threat categories mean to better assess your risk and prepare ahead of bad weather. Tornado Climatology Severe weather is…

Tuesday is a WRAL Weather Alert Day due to the threat of heavy rainfall, damaging winds, flooding and isolated tornadoes. Governor Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency for North Carolina due to the possible dangers of Tuesday’s storms. The Triangle will be under a Level 2 risk for severe weather, and multiple counties southeast of Raleigh, including Cumberland and Harnett, are under a Level 3 risk for severe weather due to a line of…

A series of powerful major weather systems are moving across the United States this week, bringing “extremely dangerous” blizzard conditions to the center of the country, widespread damaging winds across the East, tornadic storms to the South and “significant” flooding to the Northeast, forecasters warn. “It’s a pattern where we can see relatively strong storm systems running from the Western U.S. across the country to the East over a period of several days,” Greg Carbin,…

Duke Energy crews on Monday are preparing for strong, damaging winds and heavy rainfall expected on Tuesday’s WRAL Weather Alert Day. The seriousness of Tuesday’s storm has school districts, utility companies, emergency management and more all bracing for the potential impact. The Triangle will be under a Level 2 risk on Tuesday, when severe storms are likely to begin in the Triangle around 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. The severe potential will be greater south…

Duke Energy crews on Monday were preparing for strong, damaging winds and heavy rainfall expected on Tuesday, a WRAL Weather Alert Day. The Triangle will be under a Level 2 risk on Tuesday, when severe storms are likely to begin in the Triangle around 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. The severe potential will be greater south and east of the Triangle, where multiple WRAL counties are under a Level 3 risk, including Cumberland and Harnett….

Earth is finishing up its warmest year in the past 174 years, and very likely the past 125,000. Unyielding heat waves broiled Phoenix and Argentina. Wildfires raged across Canada. Flooding in Libya killed thousands. Wintertime ice cover in the dark seas around Antarctica was at unprecedented lows. This year’s global temperatures did not just beat prior records. They left them in the dust. From June through November, the mercury spent month after month soaring off…

A flood warning is in effect for parts of Cumberland and Bladen counties due to high water levels for the Cape Fear River. According to the National Weather Service, the Cape Fear River on Wednesday at the William O. Huske Lock was at 36.2 feet, expected to rise above flood stage to a crest of 46.1 feet by early Saturday morning. A flood warning remains in effect until Sunday evening, Dec. 31, when the river is…