Raleigh North Carolina News

By Cullen Browder, WRAL anchor/reporter Goldsboro, N.C. — This week, North Carolina House leaders formed a committee to investigate problems in getting assistance to hurricane victims dating back as far as six years. WRAL Investigates has been following the money and the delays through the nightmare of a Goldsboro woman who’s still waiting. After Hurricane Matthew swallowed her Goldsboro home in 2016, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) paid Staris Morgan some rental assistance and…

By TERRY WALLACE, Associated Press A two-day-old wildfire remained on the move Wednesday, with embers from burning tree crowns flying up to 200 yards, officials said. The Chalk Mountain Fire near Glen Rose, Texas, had burned almost 10 square miles (26 square kilometers) of mostly short grass, brush and juniper as of midday Wednesday, the Texas A&M Forest Service reported. Sixteen homes were destroyed and five others were damaged, said spokeswoman Alexandra Schwier. Temperatures approaching…

By DEREK GATOPOULOS and BARBARA SURK ATHENS, Greece — Battered by heavy winds, firefighters in Greece struggled to contain new fires Wednesday around the capital of Athens while other countries in southern Europe took stock of the damage caused during the latest severe heat wave and prepared for the return of scorching temperatures. Two new fires broke out west of Athens following a round-the-clock effort to halt a blaze in the outskirts of the city…

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — For 10 years, Jacqueline Smith owned property in downtown Durham without any issues, but then in a matter of days her home flooded twice. “My husband was taking a shower and he heard the toilet go ‘glug-gala,’ because that means it’s coming back up,” Smith said. “So he comes yelling to the door because I was outside with a friend and we knew immediately that something was going to be happening.”…

By The Associated Press BEIJING — Flash floods in southwest and northwest China have left at least a dozen dead and put thousands of others in harm’s way, state media reported Sunday. In the southwestern province of Sichuan, at least six people have died and another 12 are missing after torrential rain triggered flash floods, state-owned news outlet CGTN reported. Some 1,300 people had been evacuated as of Saturday, the report said. Meanwhile, in Longnan…

By Eric Miller and Leslie Moreno, WRAL multimedia journalists Wake County, N.C. — Storms packed with excessive rain and electricity barreled through central North Carolina Friday. Roads were flooded, drivers were trapped and families were displaced as those powerful storms sparked several lightning fires. Storm damage leads to fires in the Triangle Friday afternoon flames roared at a home in Fuquay Varina, even in the rain. Neighbors like Roxey Ladar said they saw a flash…

By Eric Miller and Leslie Moreno, WRAL multimedia journalists Wake County, N.C. — Storms packed with excessive rain and electricity barreled through central North Carolina Friday. Roads were flooded, drivers were trapped and families were displaced as those powerful storms sparked several lightning fires. Storm damage leads to fires in the Triangle Friday afternoon flames roared at a home in Fuquay Varina, even in the rain. Neighbors like Roxey Ladar said they saw a flash…

By JOSEPH WILSON and ANGELA CHARLTON PARIS — Strong winds and hot, dry weather frustrated French firefighters’ efforts Saturday to contain a huge wildfire that raced across pine forests in the Bordeaux region for a fifth straight day, one of several wildfires scorching Europe this week. Among the worst fires have been in Portugal, where the pilot of a firefighting plane died Friday when his plane crashed while on an operation in the northeast. It…

Storms packed with excessive rain and electricity barreled through central North Carolina Friday. Roads were flooded, drivers were trapped and families were displaced as those powerful storms sparked several lightning fires. Storm damage leads to fires in the Triangle A fire at a home in Fuquay Varina Friday night was most likely caused by lightning, though this hasn’t been confirmed by authorities. Neighbors told WRAL News they heard a loud boom and flash. There were…

VIRGINIA — Flooding in a remote pocket of southwest Virginia has damaged more than 100 homes and left some 40 people unaccounted for, but there are no confirmed deaths or injuries, authorities said Wednesday. First responders in Buchanan County began receiving reports of rising water and damage Tuesday night, authorities said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. After daybreak, crews conducted aerial surveys to examine the extent of the disaster. Several small communities in the…

By The Associated Press WHITEWOOD, Va. — Flooding in a remote pocket of southwest Virginia has damaged more than 100 homes and left some 40 people unaccounted for, but there are no confirmed deaths or injuries, authorities said Wednesday. First responders in Buchanan County began receiving reports of rising water and damage Tuesday night, authorities said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. After daybreak, crews conducted aerial surveys to examine the extent of the disaster….

Raleigh, N.C. — After being pounded by rain for nearly a week straight, flooding has become a major concern for central North Carolina Saturday. The Knightdale Fire Department told WRAL News on Saturday that it had been involved in “15 to 20 water rescues” as of Saturday evening. One rescue in particular took place on Countrywood Lane in Wake County. Officials said crews were attempting to rescue a woman on top of a vehicle in…

Raleigh, N.C. — After being pounded by rain for nearly a week straight, flooding has become a major concern for central North Carolina Saturday. The Knightdale Fire Department told WRAL News Saturday that it had been involved in “15-20 water rescues” as of Saturday evening. One rescue in particular took place on Countrywood Drive in Wake County. Officials said crews were attempting to rescue a woman on top of a vehicle in the water of…

Raleigh, N.C. — After being pounded by rain for nearly a week straight, flooding has become a major concern for central North Carolina Saturday. The Wake County Sheriff’s Office tweeted Saturday that the intersection of Old Falls of Neuse Road and Riverside Drive was completely flooded. The tweet also added that heavy debris was in the road. Nearby at Falls of Neuse Road and Wakefield Crossing Drive, Wake Dispatch told WRAL News that Raleigh Fire…

By Aaron Thomas, WRAL reporter Wake Forest, N.C. — Lightning is a fascinating force of nature. Known to be dangerous. Lightning strikes sparked fires at several homes and businesses throughout central North Carolina this week. One of those strikes hit a home in Wake Forest, sparking a fire in the attic with Anthony Aiad inside. “The light was very bright,” said Aiad. “[I was] definitely panicking. Tried to get my phone to call 911. Make…