Raleigh North Carolina News

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO — Hurricane Fiona raked the Turks and Caicos Islands on Tuesday as a Category 3 storm after devastating Puerto Rico. Hurricane conditions were slamming Grand Turk, the small British territory’s capital island, on Tuesday morning after the government imposed a curfew and urged people to flee flood-prone areas. The storm was centered just 10 miles (15 kilometers) from the island, with hurricane-force winds extending up to 30 miles (45 kilometers) from…

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hurricane Fiona barreled toward the Turks and Caicos Islands on Tuesday as a Category 3 storm, prompting the government to impose a curfew. Forecasters said Fiona was expected to pass near Grand Turk, the British territory’s capital island, on Tuesday morning. “Storms are unpredictable,” Premier Washington Misick said in a statement from London, where he was attending the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. “You must therefore take every precaution to…

6 minutes ago RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Fiona is now a category 3 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center. That could bring rough seas and elevated rip currents to the North Carolina coast. The eye of the hurricane made landfall along the coast of Dominican Republic near Boca de Yuma at 3:30 a.m. local time as a category 1, but as of the 2 a.m. update has surged into a category 3. The center…

Some Good Samaritans in Fayetteville are stepping up to help the people impacted by Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico. The Sandhills region Red Cross chapter is sending three local volunteers to brave the elements and support those in need. The Sandhills Red Cross says they’re flying out volunteers tomorrow to help families and to advocate for more government assistance. Their mission is to help hurricane victims gather the resources needed to get them through yet…

Hurricane Fiona struck Puerto Rico’s southwest coast on Sunday as it unleashed landslides, knocked the power grid out and ripped up asphalt from roads and flung the pieces around. Forecasters said the storm would cause massive flooding and threatened to dump “historic” levels of rain, with up to 25 inches (64 centimeters) possible in isolated areas. “The damages that we are seeing are catastrophic,” said Gov. Pedro Pierluisi. “I urge people to stay in their…

CANTIANO, Italy — Flash floods swept through several towns Friday in hilly central Italy after hours of exceptionally heavy rain, leaving 10 people dead and at least four missing, authorities said. Dozens of survivors scrambled onto rooftops or up trees to await rescue. Floods invaded garages and basements and knocked down doors. In one town, the powerful rush of water pushed a car onto a second-story balcony, while elsewhere parked vehicles were crumpled on top…

4 minutes ago RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Tropical Storm Fiona has weakened a bit due to wind shear as it moves towards the Leeward Islands. National Hurricane Center expects Fiona to take a more southern track. The system could strengthen but that depends on how much land interaction takes place. Fiona is expected to move across the Leeward Islands Friday night and early Saturday. Then it will move near or just south of the Virgin…

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for portions of the northern Leeward Islands as Tropical Storm Fiona moves through the Atlantic. The center of Fiona is forecast to move through the Leeward Islands late Friday and Friday night, and move near the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico this weekend. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts. Forecasts suggests little change in Fiona’s strength during the…

By Brian Shrader, WRAL anchor/reporter Lumberton, N.C. — Years after flooding from Hurricanes Matthew and Florence closed Interstate 95 in Robeson County, state leaders are looking at ways to flood-proof the main interstate connection along the East Coast. A project starts this week between Interstate 74 and just north of N.C. Highway 211. Crews will widen the interstate to a total of eight lanes and raise it up to 14 feet higher in spots. The…

By Laura Leslie, WRAL capitol bureau chief On the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Florence, state lawmakers are questioning the officials who manage disaster recovery in North Carolina. They say too many survivors are still waiting for help. Four years ago Wednesday Florence came ashore near Wilmington. Two years before that, Hurricane Matthew hit the state. The state has received $780 million in federal assistance for storm recovery from Hurricanes Florence and Matthew. Still years later,…

By Brian Shrader, WRAL anchor/reporter Lumberton, N.C. — Years after flooding from Hurricanes Matthews and Florence closed Interstate 95 in Robeson County, state leaders are looking at ways to flood proof the main interstate connection along the East Coast. Now, a project starts this week between Interstate 74 and just north of N.C. Highway 211. Crews will widen the interstate to a total of eight lanes and raise it up to 14 feet higher in…