Raleigh North Carolina News

President Donald Trump is in the fifth day of his second term in office, striving to remake the traditional boundaries of Washington by asserting unprecedented executive power. The president also took his first trip of his second administration on Friday, touring areas where politics has clouded the response to deadly disasters. He first traveled to hurricane-battered western North Carolina, where he described FEMA as “a very big disappointment.” Later Friday, Trump arrived in wildfire-ravaged Los…

With more than 200 dead — 104 in North Carolina — Hurricane Helene is the deadliest U.S. hurricane in decades. Helene also is responsible for the most inland flooding deaths since 1972 and the most U.S. wind deaths since at least 1963, Dr. Michael Brenna, director of the National Hurricane Center, told a conference of meteorologists this week. The September 2024 storm is estimated to have done almost $80 billion in damage to people and…

Friday night’s Hurricanes game will go on despite the weather, and dedicated fans are ready to cheer on their team. If you’re planning to attend, don’t forget to bring a snow brush or ice scraper for your car. Otherwise, you might end up using your sleeve to clear your windshield after the game. While many fans aren’t fazed by the cold, the bigger concern is the hazardous driving conditions expected after the game. By 4:30…

A local Red Cross volunteer is going to California to assist with relief efforts for those affected by massive wildfires. Zonia Quero-Ziada said on Friday that it wasn’t her first time going to the state to assist with relief efforts. She went last year to assist after flooding in the San Francisco area. Quero-Ziada estimates she has been on around 40 Red Cross assignments in her time with the organization.  A Red Cross volunteer for almost…

For former North Carolinians now living in Los Angeles, the ongoing wildfires are a jarring experience. Fire trucks fill the streets, evacuation orders are issued, and the air is thick with smoke. Cameron Merritt, who lives in Los Angeles, shared his firsthand account with WRAL News.  “Air quality is real bad, super high winds, pretty much what’s going on around here,” Merritt said. Merritt, a Raleigh native, shared how close the fires are to his…

By STEFAN STEVENSON, Associated Press DALLAS — DALLAS (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick said members of his family were among those in Southern California forced to evacuate their homes on Tuesday due to a wildfire that was being whipped by strong winds around Los Angeles. The fire swept through a Los Angeles hillside where Redick lives alongside other celebrities, burning homes in Pacific Palisades and prompting evacuation orders for tens of thousands….

Federal leaders have granted North Carolina an extension for Hurricane Helene disaster survivors to apply for government assistance. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) granted the extension until Feb. 6, 2025. Homeowners and renters in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Nash, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey counties…

As the year comes to a close, WRAL looks back at some of the most-read stories of 2024.  Most viewed stories on WRAL.com in 2024  When tech giant Google announced its annual Year in Search trends, early voting — the how, where and when, and the April solar eclipse showed up at the top of the list.  WRAL data shows 2024 total eclipse: Where, when and what we’ll see in North Carolina was the  story viewed most…

By BOB SUTTON, Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. — RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jackson Blake scored a power-play goal with 9:17 remaining to give Carolina the lead, and Jack Roslovic scored twice as the Hurricanes beat the New Jersey Devils 5-2 on Saturday night. Dmitry Orlov and Sebastian Aho also scored in Carolina’s four-goal third period. Dustin Tokarski had 21 saves to help the Hurricanes forge a split of the home-and-home on consecutive nights. Paul Cotter…

This Christmas is a challenging one for communities still recovering from Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. As recovery continues, people across the state are stepping up to keep the spirit alive.  On a street that looks like a ghost town in downtown Hot Springs, one storefront will catch your eye. The owners of Iron Horse Station, Karen Howard-Goss and Gary Goss, said they organized an event to bring people together to celebrate the holiday. “This…

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…