Wilmington North Carolina News

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump administration officials pushed back Wednesday against a Democratic senator’s claim that nearly $10 million from the government’s disaster relief agency was transferred to immigration enforcement. Sen. Jeff Merkley’s claim, which came as a monster hurricane barreled toward the Carolinas, was quickly branded by Homeland Security as “a sorry attempt to push a false agenda.” – Advertisement – The Oregon senator said the administration took $9.8 million from the Federal Emergency Management…

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – Duke Energy projects as many as three million customers could lose power for an extended period of time because of Hurricane Florence. “That is our worst-case scenario,” said Howard Fowler, Duke Energy Storm Director. Fowler and Duke Energy North Carolina President David Fountain briefed reporters on the company’s planned response to the massive storm. “People can be without power for a very long time,” Fountain said. “Not just days, but weeks.”…

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — People who thought they were relatively safe from the onslaught of Hurricane Florence began boarding up and Georgia’s governor declared a state of emergency Wednesday as uncertainty over the path of the monster storm spread worry along the Southeastern coast. Closing in with terrifying winds of 125 mph (205 kph) and potentially catastrophic rain and storm surge, Florence is expected to blow ashore Saturday morning along the North Carolina-South Carolina line,…

Hurricane Florence’s heavy rains could cause an environmental disaster in North Carolina, where waste from hog manure pits, coal ash dumps and other industrial sites could wash into homes and threaten drinking water supplies. Computer models predict up to 3 feet of rain in the southeastern corner of the state, a fertile low-lying plain veined by brackish rivers with a propensity for escaping their banks. Longtime locals don’t have to strain their imaginations to foresee what…

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Navy is moving people and ships ahead of Hurricane Florence , and the Air Force and Army are flying advanced aircraft elsewhere as a safeguard. Some remaining Marines, meanwhile, are digging in their heels. Florence is headed for a region with some of the most well-known military bases in the country, including Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot on Parris Island in…

The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore is a legendary figure in hurricane reporting and he arrived in Wilmington Monday.

Gov. Roy Cooper is reminding North Carolinians that Hurricane Florence is a storm that shouldn’t be taken lightly. (Photo: CNN) RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN/AP) — Gov. Roy Cooper is reminding North Carolinians that Hurricane Florence is a storm that shouldn’t be taken lightly. “Every county and every person in North Carolina needs to stay alert and take this storm seriously,” Cooper said. – Advertisement – Despite newer forecasts showing the storm turning south, it has the…

Silver Dollar on Carolina Beach boardwalk boarded up, ready for Hurricane Florence (Source: WECT) CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WECT) – Businesses along the Carolina Beach boardwalk are boarded up as the town prepares for the wrath of Hurricane Florence. The town issued a mandatory evacuation Monday evening. That evacuation started Tuesday morning. All residents are ordered to be off the island by no later than 8 p.m. Wednesday. Dava Villapinano, owner of the Silver Dollar on…

Zello, ReadyNC and GasBuddy are among the recommended downloads before the storm arrives. WILMINGTON – Power outages and faulty internet are all but guaranteed as Hurricane Florence bears down on the region. But this isn’t 1954, when Hurricane Hazel beat and battered the area to a devastating degree and the only form of communication was a landline. Today, weather officials recommended residents use one of the most power tools in their arsenal for prepping for…

Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter Emergency Room Entrance (Photo: Pixabay) MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WPDE) — The Grand Strand Medical Center — including its emergency room — closed Wednesday morning ahead of Hurricane Florence. The ER closure, effective at 8 a.m., is temporary and in compliance with Gov. Henry McMaster’s medical evacuation order, said Julie Kopnicky Tyre, Grand Strand Health director of marketing and public relations, in a press release. – Advertisement – “In light of the mandatory medical evacuation,…

Bridges expected to close due to hurricane winds (Source: WECT). SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA (WECT) – As Hurricane Florence moves into the area, transportation officials expect a significant number of traffic issues and road closures. Several bridges are also expected to close. WECT will update this list as information becomes available. Bridge Closures Isabel Holmes Bridge: Expected to close when wind speeds reach 30 miles per hour. Ocean Isle Beach Bridge closed Wednesday. Snow’s Cut Bridge closed Wednesday. Wrightsville…

Wave Transit cancels bus routes ahead of Hurricane Florence. (Source: WECT) WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – Wave Transit suspends bus services as they prepare for Hurricane Florence. The transit authority tweeted Wednesday morning that bus service will end at noon. They say it will also be canceled Thursday.  Wave asks you to call the public hotline at 910-798-6800 or visit the New Hanover County Emergency website for more resources and information. Copyright 2018 WECT. All rights reserved.

Due to Hurricane Florence, flights at Wilmington International Airport stopped Wednesday. (Source: ILM) WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – Multiple flights in and out of Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) have been cancelled Thursday morning as Hurricane Florence approaches. All flights in and out of Wilmington International were cancelled Wednesday. For the latest on the status of flights out of RDU, click here. Copyright 2018 WECT. All rights reserved.

Hurricane Florence could drop more than 20 inches of rain in places, bring 12-foot storm surge 11 p.m. update: Hurricane Florence continues to churn toward the U.S. mainland with potentially highly destructive winds and enough rain to thoroughly drench and possibly flood much of Eastern North Carolina. But perhaps the most dangerous part of the storm is its future speed. “Florence is expected to slow down considerably by late Thursday into Friday,” stated the 11…