Raleigh North Carolina News

DENVER — A vicious wildfire that began Thursday morning in Boulder County, Colorado, swallowed about 1,600 acres in a matter of hours, burning hundreds of homes and prompting orders for some 30,000 people in two communities to evacuate. Amid historically powerful winds, some 370 homes were destroyed in a single subdivision just west of the town of Superior, while another 210 homes may have been lost in Old Town Superior, the sheriff said Thursday. No…

By PATTY NIEBERG, BRADY McCOMBS and COLLEEN SLEVIN, Associated Press/Report for America DENVER — Mike Guanella and his family were relaxing at their Colorado home and looking forward to celebrating a belated family Christmas later Thursday when reports of a nearby grass fire quickly turned into a concerning pre-evacuation notice and then within minutes into an order to leave immediately. The Guanellas were among tens of thousands of residents who were forced to evacuate their…

DENVER — Thousands of residents in two communities near Boulder were ordered to evacuate Thursday because of a wind-fueled wildfire that engulfed parts of the area in smoky, orangish skies. The city of Louisville, which has a population of about 21,000, was ordered to evacuate after residents in Superior, which has 13,000 residents, were told to leave. The neighboring towns are roughly 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Denver. The blaze was one of several…

MORRISVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) — A rebound in air travel during the holiday season is facing strong headwinds from two obstacles, leading to a sharp rise in cancellations: COVID-19 cases and severe weather. Since Christmas Eve, more than 5,000 flights have been cancelled nationally, as airlines face crew shortages because of an uptick in COVID-19 cases, believed to be spurred by the more transmissible Omicron variant. On Wednesday, FlightAware reported 16 flights — seven departures and…

By The Associated Press LINVILLE, N.C. — Firefighters are monitoring a wildfire in the vicinity of Grandfather Mountain which has burned 35 acres, officials said. The Linville Volunteer Fire Department said on its Facebook page that the fire, reported on Friday in the Roseboro area, had spread overnight but wasn’t threatening any homes as of Saturday. The post said equipment was deployed to protect residents. The department said the fire was on the Blue Ridge…

DAWSON SPRINGS, Ky. — Shocking video captured the moment a deputy in Kentucky rescued two babies after a deadly tornado outbreak ripped through the area. The footage obtained from the deputy’s body camera shows authorities finding the children in a tub that was thrown from a home demolished by the tornadoes. Deputies can be seen frantically looking through the rubble. READ ALSO | 9 days after tornado demolished Kentucky office building, owner’s cat was found…

By MARGERY A. BECK and MARGARET STAFFORD, Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. — At least five people died as a powerful and extremely unusual storm system swept across the Great Plains and Midwest amid unseasonably warm temperatures, spawning hurricane-force winds and possible tornadoes in Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota. In southeastern Minnesota, Olmsted County Sheriff’s Lt. Lee Rossman said a 65-year-old man was killed Wednesday night when a 40-foot tree blew onto him outside his home. In…

By Zach Maloch, WRAL meteorologist It’s been nearly a week since Friday’s deadly tornado outbreak, and while such severe weather in December is quite the rarity, it’s hard to believe we saw another significant severe weather event since then. A recent preliminary survey has been released classifying the tornado that blasted western Kentucky last Friday as an EF-4. Winds reached 190 mph over some 128 miles on the ground. That classification is 10 mph shy…

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Officials in Bowling Green, Kentucky, are pleading for the public’s help in finding 13-year-old Nyssa Brown, who remains unaccounted for after last week’s devastating tornado outbreak killed six members of her family. The city has processed 244 missing person reports and accounted for everyone but the teenager. “This isn’t just another missing person, but rather this is our 13-year-old girl,” Bowling Green Fire Chief Justin Brooks said at a press briefing…

By Zach Maloch, WRAL meteorologist It’s been nearly a week since Friday’s deadly tornado outbreak, and while such severe weather in December is quite the rarity, it’s hard to believe we saw another significant severe weather event since then. A Recent preliminary survey has been released classifying the tornado that blasted western Kentucky last Friday as an EF-4. Winds reached 190 mph over some 128 miles on the ground. That classification is 10 mph shy of…

By Zach Maloch, WRAL meteorologist Five days have passed since Friday’s deadly tornado outbreak, and while such severe weather risk in December is quite the rarity, it’s hard to believe a portion of the country is under another Level 4 risk on Wednesday. A Recent preliminary survey has been released classifying the tornado that blasted western Kentucky last Friday as an EF-4. Winds reached 190 mph over some 128 miles on the ground. An EF-5…

By MARGERY A. BECK, Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. — A powerful storm system ushered in strong winds, heavy rain and a chance of tornadoes across the Great Plains and Midwest on Wednesday, with temperatures posed to set record highs in some places only days before the official start of winter. Forecasters predicted likely record-breaking high temperatures in the mid-70s for much of Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and parts of Missouri. The warmth came with dangerous winds…

By CLAIRE GALOFARO and JOHN RABY , Associated Press BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The little red wagon was strewn upside down on a heap of rubble — a pile of boards and bricks, a mangled blue bicycle, a baby doll. Behind it, there was little more than a hole in the ground where a house had stood. Across the street, the tidy homes on this cul-de-sac were reduced to mounds of lumber. Clothes hung from…

By Zach Maloch, WRAL meteorologist Five days have passed since Friday’s deadly tornado outbreak, and while such severe weather risk in December is quite the rarity, it’s hard to believe a portion of the country is under another Level 4 risk on Wednesday. Friday’s outbreak saw numerous tornadoes. Even though a few tornadoes are possible in Iowa and Minnesota later Wednesday, the greatest impact could be from widespread damaging winds, as storms may travel at…

WASHINGTON — For the fifth time since taking office less than a year ago, President Joe Biden is taking on the grim task Wednesday of visiting an area ravaged by natural disaster to offer comfort and condolences. Biden was headed to Kentucky to survey damage and offer federal support for the victims of devastating tornadoes that killed dozens and left thousands more in the region without heat, water or electricity. More than 30 tornadoes tore…