Charlotte North Carolina News

CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) – Target has committed up to $1.5 million to help communities after Florence struck North Carolina and South Carolina, causing catastrophic floods and leaving thousands of homes destroyed and families displaced.   Target said $1 million of their donation wil go to non-profit organizations, including Team Rubicon for disaster cleanup and recovery, GlobalGiving in support of various local nonprofits, and more as they access the need of the communities in the coming…

CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) – Planet Fitness is opening 39 locations in North Carolina and South Carolina for anyone impacted by Hurricane Florence free of charge. The fitness chain will have 34 clubs in North Carolina and five clubs in South Carolina where anyone in impacted communities can utilize showers, fitness equipment, massage chairs, electrical outlets and more. LINK: How to help those affected by Hurricane Florence Doors will remain open starting Tuesday, Sept. 18…

Tropical Storm Florence is flooding North Carolina with more than just water. State officials have begun investigating more than 600 reports of price gouging in the wake of the storm, which hit the coast as a Category 1 hurricane early Friday morning. Price gouging is illegal during disasters and disaster recovery. Its definition under North Carolina law is somewhat ambiguous — there are plenty of economic factors that inspectors must consider, both pro and con,…

Bridge washes away, trapping tractor trailer in Chesterfield County (left). Road collapses beneath car in Horry County (right). Credit: Chesterfield County Sheriff/Horry County Fire & Rescue Bridge washes away, trapping tractor trailer in Chesterfield County (left). Road collapses beneath car in Horry County (right). Credit: Chesterfield County Sheriff/Horry County Fire & Rescue (FOX 46 WJZY) – Just because it’s sunny doesn’t mean Florence is through with us yet. North Carolina Department of Transportation spokesperson Jen…

CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46 WJZY/AP) – President Donald Trump is expected to come to North Carolina Wednesday to visit areas that have been affected by then-hurricane Florence.  North Carolina officials said even though the sun is shining in parts of the state, major flooding is continuing in the aftermath of Florence and is expected to worsen in some areas. Gov. Roy Cooper said 16 rivers are at major flood stage Tuesday with an additional three forecast…

Hornets Chairman Michael Jordan is donating $2 million to organizations aiding in the relief and recovery efforts, as part of the Hornets’ ongoing effort to assist residents who have suffered due to the devastation caused by Florence.  Jordan is contributing $1 million each to the American Red Cross and the Foundation For The Carolinas’ Hurricane Florence Response Fund. The American Red Cross is providing food and shelter to thousands of people who have been displaced by…

Under sunny skies Tuesday, North Carolina towns watched, with dread, as rivers continued to rise a day after Florence finally exited the state. The National Weather Service said Tuesday that the radar-estimated total rainfall from the storm was 8.04 trillion gallons, a record deluge in places. That water was responsible for some of the 26 confirmed deaths because of the storm. About 2,200 people have had to be rescued, according to Gov. Roy Cooper. Major…

On one side of a two-lane country road a little ways south of Kinston, a man was walking through thigh-high water carrying loads of plastic boxes, packed to the top with clothes and other belongings that he salvaged from his flooded house. On the other side of the same road, another man surveyed the receding water, thankful that things weren’t worse for him. It was Sunday, two days after Hurricane Florence slowly churned through southeastern…

Fox Carolina called it the Carolinas’ “post-hurricane horror.” Huge numbers of fire ants were reportedly forming “rafts” to escape Hurricane Florence’s flood waters, sending them floating down neighborhood streets, into yards. “I don’t think this is real,” one person commented on Facebook, seeming to echo what many others were saying about the stories. “Locally, haven’t heard a word.” Experts at the North Carolina Museum of Natural History beg to differ, however. Not only are floating…

WASHINGTON ― In the wake of Hurricane Florence, the Internal Revenue Service is reminding taxpayers that criminals and scammers try to take advantage of the generosity of taxpayers who want to help victims of major disasters. Fraudulent schemes normally start with unsolicited contact by telephone, social media, e-mail or in-person using a variety of tactics. •    Some impersonate charities to get money or private information from well-intentioned taxpayers. •    Bogus websites use names similar to…

By Monday afternoon, the City of Charlotte had received nearly 500 requests for workers to come out and deal with downed trees and limbs from Hurricane Florence, according to data released by the city. In a report dated 4 p.m. Monday, city officials said they could not determine how many major streets were blocked because of an “overwhelming volume of emergency tree requests.” Cleanup was well underway on Monday, Charlotte’s first sunny day after the…