Raleigh North Carolina News

North Carolina joins a growing list of states grappling with the escalating wildfire. A burn ban is currently in effect for 30 counties, and firefighters from across the region have mobilized to combat the ongoing wildfire in the western part of the state. The following fires have contributed to the ongoing wildfire crisis in NC: Poplar Drive fire in Henderson County The Poplar Drive Fire in Henderson County is now 90% contained and remains 434 acres. Percent…

North Carolina joins a growing list of states grappling with the escalating wildfire. A burn ban is currently in effect for 30 counties, and firefighters from across the region are mobilizing to combat three significant blazes in the western part of the state. Also contributing to the wildfire crisis is the ongoing drought. “[The] drought is statewide but more severe in the western part of the state,” said Philip Jackson with the North Carolina Forest…

North Carolina joins a growing list of states grappling with the escalating wildfire. A burn ban is currently in effect for 30 counties, and firefighters from across the region are mobilizing to combat three significant blazes in the western part of the state. Fire departments within our viewing area are actively engaged in the firefighting efforts. Crews from Hillsborough are currently on the ground, while firefighters from Rocky Mount are set to deploy on Thursday….

Wildfires caused by drought, warmer-than-normal temperatures and, in a few cases, possibly arson have been ablaze for days in several Southern states. The threat has led officials to enact burn bans and to stop issuing safe-burn permits. November is the peak month of the fire season across the country, but certain areas, including parts of the Southeast, are expected to be at an “above-normal” risk, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Mississippi, for example,…

A wildfire burning in Henderson County has burned 431 acres of land in the Edneyville community, and only 5% of it is contained. The Poplar Drive Fire burning in western North Carolina is now more than 10 times larger than it was Friday night. On Sunday Chief Robert Griffin with the Edneyville Fire Department said the fire ballooned over the weekend and has burned around 430 acres. In the face of devasation, the volunteer response…

A wildfire burning in Henderson County has burned 431 acres of land in the Edneyville community, and only 5% of it is contained. The Poplar Drive Fire burning in western North Carolina is now more than 10 times larger than it was Friday night. On Sunday Chief Robert Griffin with the Edneyville Fire Department said the fire ballooned over the weekend and has burned around 430 acres. In the face of devasation, the volunteer response…

The North Carolina Forest Service issued a burn ban for several counties in western North Carolina on Sunday. According to the Forest Service, the ban includes Burke, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Graham Henderson Jackson, Macon, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain and Transylvania counties starting at 5 p.m. Sunday. The ban will be in place “until further notice.” “Several Counties in Western North Carolina are currently in a severe drought, and we are seeing wildfire activity increase…

ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Otis slammed into Mexico’s southern Pacific coast as a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane early Wednesday, bringing 165 mph (270 kmh) winds and heavy rain to Acapulco and surrounding towns, stirring memories of a 1997 storm that killed dozens of people. The hurricane was expected to weaken quickly in Guerrero state’s steep mountains. But the five to 10 inches of rain forecast, with as much as 15 inches possible in some…

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico (AP) — Norma strengthened slightly and dumped heavy rain after being downgraded to a tropical storm Sunday as it moved into mainland Mexico, while Hurricane Tammy left the Caribbean island of Barbuda with minor damage. Once a Category 4 hurricane, Norma came ashore Saturday as a Category 1 near the Pacific resort of Los Cabos at the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. Tens of thousands were left without power….

LONDON (AP) — Hundreds of people were being evacuated from their homes and schools closed in parts of Scotland on Thursday, as much of northern Europe braced for stormy weather, heavy rain and gale-force winds from the east. The U.K.’s weather forecaster, the Met Office, issued a rare red alert — the highest level of weather warning — for parts of Scotland, predicting “exceptional rainfall” Thursday and Friday that is expected to cause extensive flooding…

The GA Kohler wrecked along the Outer Banks in a 1933 hurricane. In the years since, the tides regularly uncover and rebury the wreckage. Cape Hatteras National Seashore posted a reminder of the cool but dangerous things that lurk just off our coast. The safest option is to observe from a distance and report anything unusual to a park ranger.

By Aaron Beard Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Defensemen Brady Skjei and Jaccob Slavin scored third-period goals that helped the Carolina Hurricanes push past the Ottawa Senators 5-3 in Wednesday night’s season opener for both teams. Skjei scored shortly after a turnover by Ottawa in its own end, one-timing a pass from Jesper Fast to beat Joonas Korpisalo for the go-ahead score at the 7:51 mark of the third. Slavin followed minutes later with…

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Lidia made landfall as an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm Tuesday evening with winds of 140 mph (220 kph) near Mexico’s Pacific coast resort of Puerto Vallarta. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Lidia’s eye appeared to have reached land near Las Penitas in the western state of Jalisco. The area is a sparsely populated peninsula. The storm is moving south of Puerto Vallarta, which could cushion the blow on…

It’s been nearly 11 weeks since an EF3 tornado damaged more than 100 homes and businesses in the Rocky Mount area. Organizers say after a slow start, the area’s largest relief fund has now raised more than $500,000 for victims of the storm. On July 19, Michael Poythress’s home in the town of Dortches was caught in the path of a historic EF3 tornado. He tried to take shelter in the bathroom with his wife….

By Brian Murphy, WRAL Major League Baseball seems likely to expand by two teams in the relatively near future. The owner of the Carolina Hurricanes wants Raleigh and North Carolina to be in that conversation. “It’s clear to me now that this works,” Dundon told WRAL on Tuesday. But it is early in the process of putting together an ownership group and identifying potential stadium locations, he said. It could be years not months. Dundon…