Charlotte North Carolina News

PHOENIX, Ariz. (KSAZ) – One Valley man says the recent images of now Tropical Depression Florence lashing the Carolinas brought back difficult memories for him.  The images coming out of the Carolinas is almost too much to bear for Scott Hodges. “It was kind of a shock for me,” said Hodges. He had to be evacuated 10 years ago when Hurricane Ike came ashore in Texas as a strong category two hurricane, leaving a path…

WILMINGTON ,NC (AP) – As rain from Florence continued to lash the Carolinas, the region’s swollen rivers were beginning to swamp coal ash dumps and low-lying hog farms Sunday, raising pollution concerns. Duke Energy said the collapse of a coal ash landfill at the L.V. Sutton Power Station near Wilmington, North Carolina, is an “on-going situation,” with an unknown amount of potentially contaminated storm water flowing into a nearby lake. At a different power plant…

The heaviest rainfall from Tropical Depression Florence may be over for the Charlotte region. Even though the rain is likely to taper off Sunday night, rivers are expected to crest later in the week. There are downed trees and power lines scattered throughout Charlotte, but there’s not widespread damage from wind or rain. In Steele Creek in southwest Charlotte, which doesn’t have a large tree canopy, there were few fallen limbs. The area looked as…

In the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, The Husk in Wilmington opened its doors using a generator to let fans watch the Carolina Panthers. Credit: WJZY In the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, The Husk in Wilmington opened its doors using a generator to let fans watch the Carolina Panthers. Credit: WJZY WILMINGTON, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) – Despite mass power outages and destruction in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, a Wilmington bar opened its doors to…

A tractor-trailer overturned on Interstate 85 northbound, closing the roadway as the effects of Hurricane Florence made their way into the Charlotte area. The Panera Bread truck appeared to have hit the barrier, flipping over. I-85 northbound was shut down as crews worked to clear. As of 2:30 p.m. the road was still closed. It’s unclear if weather played a factor in the accident.

Credit: WJZY Credit: WJZY CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) – Florence made its presence known in neighborhoods across Charlotte, as fierce winds took their toll on several businesses in Plaza Midwood. Part of the building that houses Three Amigos Mexican Restaurant, the Billiard Cafe and a roofing store on Central Avenue, came crashing down around 6 a.m., according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police. The awning caused damage to a car that was in the parking lot. It’s unclear…

Remnants of Florence continued to batter the Carolinas Sunday as North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper warned that “the risk to life is rising with the angry waters.” Rivers continued to rise as much of eastern North Carolina remained flooded and the danger of flash floods spread throughout the state. The National Weather Service warned of possible tornadoes in the east as well as landslides in the mountains. Downgraded Sunday to a tropical depression, former Hurricane…

Florence has dumped more than four inches of rain on parts of Lancaster County, S.C., in the past 24 hours, according ro data from a nonprofit group that measures precipitation for researchers. Rock Hill, S.C., has received more than 2.5 inches, data shows. Members of the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network measured the rainfall. The group tracks rainfall at more than 340 locations across South Carolina. See the map below for more information.

At least 10 people have died in North Carolina because of Hurricane Florence, and Gov. Roy Cooper urged residents Sunday to beware of treacherous flash flooding for days to come. “Flood waters are still raging across our state,” Cooper said at a noon news conference. “As this storm continues to churn through North Carolina, it has dumped more than two feet or more in many places,” Cooper said. He said that’s enough to inundate areas…

GEORGETOWN, S.C. (AP) – Florence claims 14th victim as truck loses control on flooded road in South Carolina. As the death toll from Florence grew and hundreds of people were pulled from flooded homes, North Carolina braced for catastrophic, widespread river flooding that could be the next stage of a mounting disaster. Weakened to a tropical depression early Sunday after blowing ashore as a hurricane with 90 mph (145 kph) winds on Friday, Florence was…

As residents in the Carolinas hunker down amid the continued heavy rains and strong winds from Florence Sunday, several businesses are closed, and some public services are on hold. From grocery stores to malls to public transit, the following is a running list of closures/service suspensions in Charlotte Sunday. This list will be updated periodically. If you have any updates to share, please reach out to kperalta@charlotteobserver.com or kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com. ▪ CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar service…

Universities around North Carolina closed and canceled classes last week ahead of Hurricane Florence. Florence was downgraded to a Tropical Depression Sunday, but many schools will remain closed out of caution. Some schools along the coast, like East Carolina University, Elizabeth City State University and UNC Wilmington, issued mandatory evacuation notices and closed residence halls — in addition to canceling classes — last week. ECU and ECSU provided on-campus shelter for students who were unable…

Florence has dumped more than 17 inches of rain on parts of Eastern North Carolina in the past 24 hours, according data from a nonprofit group that measures precipitation for researchers. Members of the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network measured 17.4 inches of rain at Yaupon Beach in Brunswick County. More than 13 inches fell in Whiteville, in Columbus County. The group tracks rainfall at more than 400 locations across the state, including…

FOX NEWS – Federal officials and lawmakers on Sunday said that while they are well prepared for the disaster relief efforts as the damaging winds and rains from tropical depression Florence continue to batter the Eastern Seaboard, the long-term impact of the storm is still yet to be determined. “This is going to be a long, frustrating recovery,” FEMA Administrator Brock Long said during an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” READ MORE: Florence likely to…

As of 10:30 a.m. Sunday, tens of thousands of residents across the Charlotte region were without power as strong winds from former Hurricane Florence, now labeled a tropical depression, downed trees and knocked over power lines. In total, more than 450,000 Duke Energy customers across North and South Carolina had lost power Sunday morning, the Charlotte-based utility said. That figure includes over 18,000 households in Mecklenburg County. Elsewhere in the Charlotte region, household power outages…