Raleigh North Carolina News

As Christmas approaches and we mark three months since Hurricane Helene, WRAL News speaks with a woman who survived some of the storm’s most devastating impacts. Three months later, life for Leslie Worth has started to return to somewhat normal.  “We take it one day at a time, but we’re doing pretty well,” Worth said.  Pretty well, after this. When Helene’s floodwaters turned the New River in Ashe County into a torrent, Worth’s home was…

Congressional leaders said they reached a last-minute deal to fund the government, avoid a government shutdown and provide another $100 billion for disaster relief. However, it’s not yet clear how much of that funding could be coming to North Carolina to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.  The latest estimates for the cost for storm in North Carolina – released Friday by the state budget office – now put the total cost at nearly…

Months after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, Asheville businesses are still struggling to recover, with some calling for more government aid to help them stay afloat. Among those hit hard is 12 Bones Smokehouse, a beloved Asheville institution so well-known for its barbecue, former President Obama dined there three times. The restaurant has been a staple in the community for 20 years but lost its River Arts District location to the storm and has…

SWANNANOA, N.C. — Nestled in the heart of Swannanoa, the Alan Campos mobile home park attempts to recover from the destruction left by Hurricane Helene in September.  Pallets of water line the park’s dirt road entrance, reading Spanish phrases such as “No toma, para baño” (“Don’t drink, for bathroom”) and “Agua para cocinar” (“Cooking water”). Further into the community—between half-constructed mobile homes—neon green flags mark the worksite of the Community Organized Relief Effort, known as…

SWANNANOA, N.C. — Propane tanks, generators, construction equipment and cases of water scatter the property of a Harley-Davidson off Interstate Highway 40’s Exit 59 to Swannanoa. Orange traffic cones and a security guard block the business’s entrance, while other people dig holes, serve food, or stock trucks with donations, hidden away from the elements by a collection of white tents. For over a month, 20 Patton Cove Road was not a motorcycle dealership. Instead, it…

Due to severe weather and the potential for flooding, Northampton County Schools announced it will dismiss all students early on Wednesday. Students will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m., the district said on its website. WRAL meteorologist Chris Michaels said Northampton has a low-level risk of flooding.

Months after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across western North Carolina, thousands of private wells may still be contaminated, leaving families unsure if their drinking water is safe. Floodwaters from the storm damaged homes, displaced residents and potentially tainted water supplies with harmful bacteria like E. coli. State and local health officials are offering free water testing kits through county health departments, but so far, fewer than half of the distributed kits have been used. According…

FAIRVIEW, N.C. (AP) — Vice President-elect JD Vance on Friday surveyed damage from Hurricane Helene and talked to first responders in western North Carolina in one of his first public appearances since the November election. The hurricane struck in late September and caused at least $53 billion in damage in North Carolina, according to a state government estimate. More than 100 North Carolina residents died from the storm, which the state estimates damaged over 120,000…

Saturday marked the final day of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. The season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. This year saw 18 named storms, 11 of which were hurricanes, meaning the winds reached 74 mph or greater. Five reached major hurricane status at Category 3 or higher intensity (winds of at least 111 mph). On average, there are seven hurricanes per season. Under the right conditions, tropical systems can take shape outside of…

Saturday marks the final day of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. The season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. This year saw 18 named storms, 11 of which were hurricanes, meaning the winds reached 74 mph or greater. Five reached major hurricane status at Category 3 or higher intensity (winds of at least 111 mph). On average, there are seven hurricanes per season. Under the right conditions, tropical systems can take shape outside of…

For nearly a decade, officials have identified west Raleigh as the city’s next “it” district. Now it appears to actually be happening. The Carolina Hurricanes’ planned $1-billion redevelopment around Lenovo Center, the club’s home arena on Edwards Mill Road, is the centerpiece of this reimagining. But the NHL franchise is far from alone in making big moves in the area. “There’s so much potential that can happen out there,” said Philip Isley, a former Raleigh…

Fans without cable or streaming apps can watch the Carolina Hurricanes play for free during the week of Thanksgiving. The games – Tuesday, Nov. 25, and Friday, Nov. 29 – will be simulcast on broadcast television. “We are thrilled to partner with The Carolina Hurricanes and provide North Carolina with the opportunity to watch the best hockey team in the country,” said Joel Davis, VP & General Manager WRAL & FOX 50. “This partnership reflects…

There has been a huge difference between the rain we saw before Helene vs. the rain we’ve seen since Helene. Rain before vs. after Helene in Raleigh, NC It turns out there was a study in 2022 at Florida State University that looked into how often drought developed after landfalling tropical systems. Since 2000, it’s actually rare to see that happen. Four of the 30 storms analyzed had a flash drought develop shortly after their…

NEWLAND, N.C. (AP) — The Cartner family had known since last year that one of their farm’s Christmas trees would be headed to the White House this winter. But then Hurricane Helene struck, unleashing a deadly deluge across western North Carolina, including Avery County, where Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm has stood for decades. Though the farm lost thousands of trees to a mudslide, many more survived, including a 20-foot conical tree that dwarfs most of…

Almost two months after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on western North Carolina, Republican lawmakers grilled officials Monday over how they handled two other hurricanes that hit the state several years ago. As part of a massive $3.9 billion Helene recovery package presented to legislators last month, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper included a request for more money to finish housing projects in eastern North Carolina still pending from Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in…