Wilmington North Carolina News

The National Hurricane Center upgraded Hurricane Epsilon to a Category 3 storm Wednesday evening, noting that it was quickly gaining strength as it approached Bermuda.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Satellite image of Hurricane Epsilon (Photo: WWAY) MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Epsilon, the 10th of this very busy Atlantic season, is moving toward Bermuda and could hit the island on Thursday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm watch for Bermuda, and residents have been urged to closely monitor the storm’s progress. – Advertisement – Epsilon had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph Wednesday morning and was still about…

Property owners at Safe Harbor South Harbor Marina express concern over delayed repairs following Hurricane Isaias (photo: Sydney Bouchelle/WWAY) WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The White House and FEMA have granted the state’s request for a major disaster declaration for 15 North Carolina counties that were hit hard by Hurricane Isaias. “This declaration from our federal partners will help us rebuild stronger and smarter, so our communities can recover from the damage done by Hurricane Isaias,”…

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp HENDERSONVILLE, NC (WLOS) — A drive home turned dangerous for a North Carolina family over the weekend. The family was driving home from Jacksonville when a tornado passed over the interstate. Family members said it was two minutes they will never forget, and they caught it on camera. – Advertisement – “I asked Annie my wife to get the phone and record it just in case something happened to us,” said…

FAIR BLUFF, NC (WWAY) — Thursday marks the four year anniversary of Hurricane Matthew, the storm that turned one southeastern North Carolina town into a ghost town. Fair Bluff, once a picturesque town featured in movies and on postcards, has fallen on hard times. – Advertisement – “Just looking at everything now, it’s hurtful. It’s hurtful,” Kim Bennett, a Fair Bluff native, said. “It looks like a movie set. It looks like a ghost town…

“It won’t be a completely dry weekend, but it won’t be a washout,” Gardner said.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp CANCUN, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Delta has made landfall south of Cancun along the northeastern coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, blowing down trees and knocking out power in some of the area’s resorts. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says the center of Delta came ashore around 5:30 a.m. local time as a Category 2 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. – Advertisement – About 2,000 people took refuge…

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Satellite image of Hurricane Delta on Oct. 6, 2020. (Photo: WWAY) MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Delta is getting bigger fast and speeding up as it takes aim at Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. It’s now a Category 2 hurricane with top winds of 110 mph. Forecasters now expect Delta to slam into beach resorts from Tulum to Cozumel with an extremely dangerous storm surge of up to 9 feet and even higher…

Tropical Storm Delta formed Monday and could bring rain to North Carolina later this week.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Tropical storms Gamma and Delta (Photo: WWAY) MEXICO CITY (AP) — Deadly Tropical Storm Gamma has stalled just north of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, while a potentially more threatening Tropical Storm Delta has formed in the Caribbean. Forecasters say Delta will hit western Cuba and eventually the U.S. Gulf Coast, likely as a hurricane. – Advertisement – The track is widely uncertain five days out, but the U.S. National Hurricane Center says…

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Deadly wildfires in California have burned more than 4 million acres this year, a new record for the number of acres burned in a single year. The previous record was two years ago when wildfires destroyed 1.67 million acres. – Advertisement – California fire officials said the state hit the fearsome milestone Sunday with about two months still left in the fire season. Lightning strikes in mid-August…

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Glass fire in Napa County, CA (Photo: CBS News) SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Expected powerful winds didn’t materialize, allowing fire crews a chance to make some gains against a blaze in California’s wine country. But fire officials say winds of up to 30 mph (48 kph) are forecast to push through the hills of Napa and Sonoma counties into Saturday. – Advertisement – The Glass Fire, which exploded in size earlier…

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Flames are devouring swaths of brush and trees in Northern California amid unseasonably hot and dry weather. High winds that spread new fires this week in the Napa and Sonoma wine country and in far northern California have been reduced to breezes but vegetation is still ripe for burning in high temperatures amid very low humidity. – Advertisement – The National Weather Service says Wednesday that the…

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp LELAND, NC (WWAY) — Several members of a New Hanover County church have returned home after spending several days in the Gulf Coast assisting residents impacted by Hurricane Laura. Last week, 10 members of Wrightsville Beach Baptist Church made the 15-hour trip to Alexandria, Louisiana, where they assisted 14 homeowners in need of help removing trees brought down by the powerful storm. They also assisted in putting tarps on three damaged roofs….

Strong to severe storms and isolated flooding are likely Tuesday before a pattern of cooler fall air sets in for the first days of October.

Thunderstorms are likely Monday and Tuesday before a pattern of cooler fall air sets in for the work week.

Heavy winds knocked trees over and into one home in the Glen Arbor neighbor in Raleigh.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — You may have noticed some road signs are still down across the Cape Fear since Hurricane Isaias. Most of the impacted signs are fixed quickly, but a few have been damaged for months. – Advertisement – NCDOT says they repair the most important road signs first, and get to the others when they can. According to NCDOT division traffic engineer Jessi Leonard, the process relies heavily on…

Louisiana during Hurricane Laura (WWAY) WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Wrightsville Beach Baptist Church headed to Alexandria, Louisiana yesterday to help Hurricane Laura victims. Pastor John McIntyre gathered together ten church volunteers and today they’ve been hard at work, cutting down trees and removing debris. – Advertisement – So far they’ve helped several homeowners and local business owners get back on their feet. When a tree fell on her insurance business, Bridgette Jackson says she…

Two tropical systems will likely have indirect impacts on North Carolina later this week.

CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Flooding is always a major concern along the coast during hurricane season. But in Carolina Beach, occasional flooding has been happening over the past several years when there isn’t a cloud in the sky. However, town manager Bruce Oakley says the flooding that’s currently taking place in Carolina Beach is the worst the town has seen in 2020. – Advertisement – “The one like we have right now is the…

Outer Banks residents, business owners and visitors were limited in their travel once again Monday after Mother Nature swept sand and water over N.C. Highway 12.

Outer Banks residents, business owners and visitors were limited in their travel once again Monday after Mother Nature swept sand and water over N.C. Highway 12.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp NC12 remains closed between the Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe, as well as on Ocracoke between the pony pens and the ferry terminal due to flooding on Sept. 21, 2020. (Photo: NCDOT NC12) RODANTHE, NC (AP) — High tides and Hurricane Teddy are causing travel problems along North Carolina’s Outer Banks and threatens problems going up to Tidewater Virginia. Portions of the primary road linking North Carolina’s Outer Banks barrier islands to…

Portions of the primary road linking North Carolina’s Outer Banks barrier islands to the mainland were closed on Sunday due to coastal flooding from high tides and Hurricane Teddy.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp (Photo: LACounty Fire PIO) LOS ANGELES (AP) — The destruction wrought by a wind-driven wildfire in the mountains northeast of Los Angeles is approaching 156 square miles, burning structures, homes and a nature center in a famed Southern California wildlife sanctuary in foothill desert communities. Across California, authorities say Sunday nearly 19,000 firefighters continue to fight more than two dozen major wildfires. – Advertisement – Officials are also investigating the death…

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Hurricane Dorian’s Eye Seen from the International Space Station (Photo: NASA) HOUSTON (AP) — Tropical Storm Beta was expected this week to bring heavy rainfall to parts of the upper Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana, adding to the stress and worry residents and officials have already dealt with during a busy hurricane season. The National Weather Service said Sunday while Beta could bring up to 20 inches of rain in some…

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Federal officers response to Portland protests (Photo: ZUMA/MGN Online) PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Protesters have returned to the streets of Portland, Oregon, following a dayslong pause largely due to poor air quality from wildfires on the West Coast. Police say in a statement an unlawful assembly was declared Friday night near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building. Photos show smoke was used to clear the crowd. KOIN-TV reports a police…

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp ORANGE BEACH, AL (AP) — A second death from Hurricane Sally was reported Friday in Alabama, where the storm sloshed ashore Wednesday, brining wind and flooding rain. Baldwin County coroner Dr. Brian Pierce said the death in the Foley area and was of someone who was involved in storm cleanup. – Advertisement – He gave no other details on the death. Another person in the county died Wednesday morning as the…

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp SAN BERNARDINO, CA (AP) — A firefighter has died battling a wildfire in California that officials say was sparked by a device used to reveal a baby’s gender. The U.S. Forest Service says the death occurred Thursday in the San Bernardino National Forest as crews battled the El Dorado Fire. – Advertisement – The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, has said that wildfire was sparked by…

A flash flood watch has expired for the Triangle and much of central North Carolina after an active night of rain and some storms from the remnants of Hurricane Sally.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Flooding on Main Street in Shallotte on Sept. 17, 2020 (Photo: Carly Pyatte) BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Several roads are closed tonight in Brunswick County, because they are impassible due to flooding. The Brunswick County Sheriff’s office posted a list of roads on Facebook that are impassible. – Advertisement – The post said Wall St. and Main St. in Shallotte, Club View Lane in Calabash and Wildwood Village and Ocean…

As homeowners and business owners in Fayetteville prepare for the remnants of Sally to pass over tonight, forecast to bring high rainfall totals, they have another memory of flooding in their minds: Hurricanes Florence and Matthew.

A flash flood watch is in effect for most of North Carolina from 2:00 p.m. Thursday until 8:00 p.m. Friday. Counties south of Raleigh are under a Level 2, or elevated, risk for severe weather.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp BERLIN (AP) — Satellite images show that smoke from wildfires in the west of the United States has reached as far as Europe. Data collected by a European Union monitoring service found smoke from the fires had traveled almost 5,000 miles through the atmosphere to Britain and other parts of northern Europe. – Advertisement – The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts said the fires in California, Oregon and Washington state…

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp PENSACOLA, FL (AP) — Hurricane Sally has lumbered ashore near Gulf Shores, Alabama, as a Category 2 storm, with top winds of 105 mph. The coast is being pummeled with sideways rain and beach-covering storm surges. Sally’s northern eyewall raked the Gulf Coast for hours before the center finally made landfall, delivering punishing wind and rain from Pensacola Beach, Florida, westward to Dauphin Island, Alabama. – Advertisement – The National Hurricane…

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp GULFPORT, MS (AP) — Hurricane Sally is crawling toward the northern Gulf Coast at just 2 mph, a pace that’s enabling the storm to gather huge amounts of water to eventually dump on land. Forecasters now expect landfall late Tuesday or early Wednesday near the Alabama-Mississippi state line. – Advertisement – Rainfall is increasing in the two states, where some coastal roads have been closed because of flooding. Forecasters say the…

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY/AP) — Wildfires are continuing to rage in several states out West and a number of North Carolina Forest Service firefighters are on the front lines battling the blazes. Shane Hardy a forrester for the N.C. Forest Service’s District 8 region which encompasses New Hanover, Brunswick, Pender, Duplin, Columbus and Bladen counties. – Advertisement – For the last 20 days, Hardy has been working to battle wildfires in Oregon. This week, he’s working…

Sand Hill AME Church on Whitestocking Road in Pender County in Sept. 2018. (Photo: WWAY) WHITE STOCKING, NC (WWAY) — Hurricane Florence made landfall in the Cape Fear two years ago, leaving a mark that is still noticeable to this day. In September 2018, Sand Hill AME Church on Whitestocking Road in Pender County was left complete underwater due to Florence. – Advertisement – Sand Hill AME Church on Whitestocking Road in Pender County in…

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Monday marks the two-year anniversary when Hurricane Florence came ashore near Wrightsville Beach. According to the National Weather Service, more than 30 inches of rain were measured in a few North Carolina locations, exceeding the highest single-storm rainfall amounts ever seen in this portion of the state. – Advertisement – The hurricane left lots of damage behind. The state reported 42 deaths due to the hurricane and preliminary damage estimates…

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Satellite image of Sally on Sept. 14, 2020. (Photo: WWAY) WAVELAND, MS (AP) — Storm-weary residents of the U.S. Gulf Coast are preparing for a new weather onslaught as Tropical Storm Sally churns toward them. Forecasters from the National Hurricane Center in Miami says Sally is expected to become a hurricane Monday and reach shore by early Tuesday, bringing flooding and other dangerous weather conditions to a region stretching from the…

Wildfires rage in California, Oregon and Washington BUTTE COUNTY, CA (ABC News) — California fire officials are emphasizing the historic nature of the devastating wildfires currently raging through the state as the death toll and total number of scorched acreage continue to grow. More than 3.3 million acres have been burned in the Golden State this year — more than 27 times more than in 2019, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection….

Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Wildfires in the Pacific Northwest in Sept. 2020. (Photo: Forest Service NW) SEATTLE (AP) — Emergency responders in the Pacific Northwest are fighting rumors along with raging wildfires as people spread unsubstantiated social media posts blaming arsonists from both the far left and far right for setting the blazes. A sheriff’s office and a firefighter’s union in Washington state are among the officials who turned to Facebook this week to squash…

(CBS News) — A wildfire burning in Northern California is now the state’s largest on record, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (Cal Fire). Not only is that blaze currently ravaging the region, but six of the 20 largest wildfires in California history are also burning. Cal Fire shared a graphic on Twitter listing California’s 20 biggest wildfires. The August Complex fire, which has burned across several counties, tops the list. The fire…

It was the hurricane that wouldn’t go away — and on the second anniversary of its landfall here, in many ways Florence is still with us WILMINGTON — Twisted branches and sawed-up hunks of tree trunks were piled along Myrtle Grove Road recently, high enough to obscure the fronts of homes. It was a scene reminiscent of two years ago, when Hurricane Florence slammed into the region, slowed to a crawl and proceeded to let…

(CBS News) — New wildfires ravaged bone-dry California during a scorching Labor Day weekend that saw a dramatic airlift of more than 200 people trapped by flames and ended with the state’s largest utility turning off power to 172,000 customers to try to prevent its power lines and other equipment from sparking more fires. An effort Monday night to rescue dozens of people sheltering in place from the same fire that prompted the earlier rescue…