Raleigh North Carolina News

Twenty-four North Carolinians lost their lives that day, including eight people in the WRAL viewing area, and hundreds more were injured. Approximately $328 million in property damage was done across North Carolina. Approximately 88% of that damage came from the Sanford-Raleigh tornado and the Fayetteville-Smithfield tornado (both were EF-3). A day no one could forget Tornadoes hit the Deep South on Friday, April 15, 2011, foreshadowing what was to come for North Carolina. WRAL meteorologist…

An EF-1 tornado touched down in Wilkes County Thursday night. Investigators with the National Weather Service found estimated peak winds of 105 to 110 mph blew down Main Street in Wilkesboro just before 7 p.m. A BP gas station was badly damaged, and trees also fell on some houses in the area. It is not known whether the tornado caused this damage or if other high winds caused it. The windy storms on Thursday damaged trees and…

People around the Triangle on Wednesday are cleaning up after strong winds knocked down several trees. Some areas saw wind gusts up to 40 mph and some counties were under a tornado warning. The weather prompted a WRAL Weather Alert Day. One of the trees fell on Jeffrey’s Grove School Road. Andy Harrell, who lives nearby the school, said he first thought it as a car accident nearby. “[I was] sitting [at the] dining room…

People around the Triangle on Wednesday are cleaning up after strong winds knocked down several trees. Some areas saw wind gusts up to 40 mph and some counties were under a tornado warning. The weather prompted a WRAL Weather Alert Day. One of the trees fell on Jeffrey’s Grove School Road. Andy Harrell, who lives nearby the school, said he first thought it as a car accident nearby. “[I was] sitting [at the] dining room…

It only took six hours for 22 twisters to injure more than 1,000 people across North and South Carolina – and kill 57. On this day 40 years ago, the Carolinas Outbreak, which spawned the infamous Red Springs Tornado, laid waste to Eastern North Carolina in the most destructive outbreak in Carolina history. At the time, it had been a century since the Carolinas had seen a comparatively lethal and destructive storm. Red Springs Presbyterian Church…

A coastal North Carolina highway will stay closed for the rest of the week. The Department of Transportation said N.C. Highway 12 on Ocracoke Island will stay closed until at least noon on Saturday. This past weekend’s stormy weather closed the highway from the National Park Service Pony Pens to the ferry terminal at the north end of the island. Sand and overwash on the road continue to be a problem, according to the Department…

On Monday, the director of the National Hurricane Center discussed what North Carolinians could see from the 2024 hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has not released its official forecast for hurricane season. but Dr. Michael Brennan with the NHC said the combination of rising sea surface temperatures and a developing La Niña pattern make this year’s forecast “concerning.” In 2023, the NOAA predicted a “nearly-normal” hurricane season. The most notable storm to…

On Monday, the director of the National Hurricane Center discussed what North Carolinians could see from the 2024 hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has not released its official forecast for hurricane season. but Dr. Michael Brennan with the NHC said the combination of rising sea surface temperatures and a developing La Niña pattern make this year’s forecast “concerning.” In 2023, the NOAA predicted a “nearly-normal” hurricane season. The most notable storm to…

On Monday, the director of the National Hurricane Center discussed what North Carolinians could see from the 2024 hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has not released its official forecast for hurricane season. but Dr. Michael Brennan with the NHC said the combination of rising sea surface temperatures and a developing La Niña pattern make this year’s forecast “concerning.” In 2023, the NOAA predicted a “nearly-normal” hurricane season. The most notable storm to…

LAKEVIEW, Ohio (AP) — The three people killed when several tornados roared through Ohio last week all died from storm-related injuries, authorities announced Monday. Darla Williams, 70, and Marilyn Snapp, 81, both lived in the Geiger Mobile Home Park in Lakeview, while Neal Longfellow, 69, lived in nearby Orchard Island. The two communities were among the hardest hit by severe weather that spread destruction across parts of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Arkansas and injured dozens…

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….

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…

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,…

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…

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…