Raleigh North Carolina News

By ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL and AL-EMRUN GARJON, Associated Press SYLHET, Bangladesh — Scientists say climate change is a factor behind the erratic and early rains that triggered unprecedented floods in Bangladesh and northeastern India, killing scores and making lives miserable for millions of others. Although the region is no stranger to flooding, it typically takes place later in the year when monsoon rains are well underway. This year’s torrential rainfall lashed the area as early as…

By The Associated Press BEIJING — Major flooding has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in southern China, with more rain expected. Parts of the manufacturing hub of Guangdong suspended classes, office work and public transport amid rising waters and the threat of landslides. In the neighboring province of Jiangxi, almost 500,000 people have seen damage to their homes and their lives uprooted. Roughly the same number have been affected in Guangdong,…

By Monica Casey, WRAL Durham reporter Raleigh, N.C. — Since Friday thousands of Triangle residents have been dealing with power outages and damage in the aftermath of severe weather. On Saturday morning, more than 40,000 people in the Raleigh area woke up without power. As of Saturday afternoon, the number of customers without power in the Raleigh area was down to just under 20,000. Around 2,800 were still without power as of Sunday around 9…

By Adam Owens, WRAL anchor/reporter Raleigh, N.C. — Since Friday thousands of Triangle residents have been dealing with power outages and damage in the aftermath of severe weather. On Saturday morning, more than 40,000 people in the Raleigh area woke up without power. As of Saturday afternoon, the number of customers without power in the Raleigh area was down to just under 20,000. Around 2,800 were still without power as of Sunday around 9 a.m….

By JOSEPH WILSON, Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain — Firefighters in Spain and Germany struggled to contain wildfires on Sunday amid an unusual heat wave in Western Europe for this time of year. The worst damage in Spain has been in the northwest province of Zamora where over 25,000 hectares (61,000 acres) have been consumed, regional authorities said, while German officials said that residents of three villages near Berlin were ordered to leave their homes because…

HELENA, Mont. — The devastating flooding that occurred along the Yellowstone River this week constitutes a 1 in 500-year event, according to a US Geological Survey (USGS) news release. Unprecedented rain and rapid snowmelt in recent days have caused rivers in parts of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho to burst their banks, swallowing bridges and sweeping away entire sections of roadway. More than 10,000 visitors to Yellowstone National Park have been forced to evacuate. All entrances…

By Adam Owens, WRAL anchor/reporter & Maggie Brown, WRAL multiplatform producer Raleigh, N.C. — A band of severe thunderstorms brought down trees and knocked out power to thousands across the Triangle on Friday evening. Residents went to bed on Friday night without power in both Wake and Durham counties. Many of those same families woke up this morning still without power. On Saturday morning, more than 40,000 people in the Raleigh area were waking up…

Raleigh, N.C. — The City of Raleigh said Friday evening that Saturday’s Oberlin Village Heritage 5K at Dix Park has ben canceled due to damage at the park from Friday’s storms. The city said Friday’s severe weather brought down multiple trees and power lines and rendered the race course area unsafe. The city said this was not a decision they take lightly, but do consider this a safety issue. It is unclear at this time…

By Brian Shrader, WRAL meteorologist Patti Clapper was watching WRAL-TV the afternoon of April 16, 2011. From her home near Holly Springs, she listened to meteorologists Mike Maze and Nate Johnson as they tracked the largest one-day tornado outbreak on record in North Carolina. “I heard Nate start mentioning streets,” Clapper said. “I heard him say the street right down the street from me.” She called her children downstairs and looked out the window. “I…

DEER PARK, Texas — Brenda and Rick Spencer found out that their daughter Ainsley, now 30, had Down syndrome the day she was born. They called it “one of the hardest days of our lives,” remembering the feelings of anxiety from not being able to see their baby until 14 hours after the birth. Ainsley spent 10 days in the NICU before her parents could finally bring her home. They explained that the first few…

STURGIS, Mich. — Less than two weeks after restarting production at their beleaguered Sturgis, Michigan plant, Abbott says they have once again been forced to halt production at the facility — after heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail, power outages and flood damage ravaged the area, ABC News first reported. “These torrential storms produced significant rainfall in a short period of time – overwhelming the city’s stormwater system in Sturgis, Michigan, and resulting in flooding in parts…

By AMY BETH HANSON, Associated Press HELENA, Mont. — A torrent of rain combined with a rapidly melting snowpack caused a deluge of flooding that forced the evacuation of some parts of Yellowstone National Park, cutting off electricity and forcing park officials to close all entrances indefinitely, just as the summer tourist season was ramping up. While numerous homes and other structures were destroyed, there were no immediate reports of injuries. Yellowstone officials said they…

By FELICIA FONSECA, Associated Press FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The northern Arizona city of Flagstaff is synonymous with mountains — lush with ponderosa pines, meadows and hiking trails that are a respite from the desert heat. Now, parts of them are burning yet again this year, fueled by winds that grounded air resources Monday. Fire crews were anticipating more moderate winds Tuesday and throughout the week, which could help them get a better handle on the…

HELENA, Montana — Major flooding swept away at least one bridge, washed away roads and set off mudslides in Yellowstone National Park on Monday, prompting officials to close the entrances to the popular tourist attraction and evacuate visitors. The flooding hit after recent “unprecedented rains,” park officials said on Facebook. “Our first priority has been to evacuate the northern section of the park where we have multiple road and bridge failures, mudslides and others issues,”…

Ocracoke, N.C. — We may be able to thank the first tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season for carrying a rare sea bird to the North Carolina coast. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore posted a photo of the striking white and black seabird on Facebook, saying it is an “unusual visitor” normally found in the tropical open ocean. The Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra) was spotted Tuesday on Ocracoke Island. Officials believe the effects of…