Charlotte North Carolina News

Immigrants in North Carolina and South Carolina shouldn’t worry about being arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as they evacuate their homes or at the emergency shelters, an ICE spokesperson said Wednesday. Bryan Cox, spokesperson for ICE in the southern region, said everyone should follow local evacuation orders during Hurricane Florence. “Our highest priority remains the preservation of life and safety,” Cox said in an email. “In consideration of these circumstances, there will be…

As the city of Charlotte is bracing for Florence, the State and City Departments of Transportation are clearing up storm drains and preparing roads.  Extended rainfall and strong winds could mean disaster for state highways and local roads, N.C. Department of Transportation’s  Jen Thompson said. “The potential could be there for roads to flood,” Thompson said. “The potential is there for trees to fall across the roads, as well.” The Charlotte Department of Transportation regularly…

This isn’t my first ride through a hurricane. I’m going to be fine. It’s this kitten that adopted me several weeks ago that I’m worried about. My neighbor moved to New Orleans a couple of months ago and left it behind. The poor baby doesn’t appear to have a feral bone in its body. Confused by the abandonment, my neighbor and I both tried to ignore the thing’s pitiful cries for food and comfort outside…

Here’s where to go for help during Hurricane Florence: ▪ To report a power outage or a power line problem, call Duke Energy at 800-POWER-ON (800-419-6356). Espanol: 866-4APAGON ▪ To request help from the fire department, police or MEDIC, dial 911. Also call 911 if you find a tree or limb blocking a street. ▪ If you smell natural gas or have a natural gas emergency, call Piedmont Natural Gas at 800-752-7504. ▪ To call…

Hurricane Florence is expected to cause flooding and power outages across the Carolinas. Charities are seeking financial donations and volunteers to help with the aftermath of the storm. Some organizations are listed on Charity Navigator. You can also find groups vetted by the Better Business Bureau at give.org. The BBB advises not to donate to unfamiliar organizations without getting more information. BBB also urges donors to watch out for charities that sound alike: Take extra…

NEW YORK (FOX5NY) – The frantic rush to prepare for a natural disaster is stressful for everyone but people with diabetes have an extra worry – protecting climate sensitive insulin and blood monitoring equipment. For people who are evacuees or are in an emergency situation, the CDC says it is of prime importance to identify yourself as a person with diabetes and any related conditions, so you can obtain appropriate care. It is also important…

When Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools decided Wednesday to close for hurricane preparation before any bad weather reached Charlotte, it sent ripples throughout the region. Families of about 148,000 students had to revise their plans. Thousands of hourly CMS workers, from bus drivers to cafeteria staff, are losing a day’s pay. Other organizations, from child care centers to nonprofit groups, close or limit operations when CMS closes. On their third week of school, CMS students ended up with…

CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) – Hundreds of flights have been canceled as Hurricane Florence makes its approach to coasts of North Carolina and South Carolina. More than 140 flight cancellations were reported Charlotte-Douglas International Airport Thursday, according to Flight Aware. There were 81 cancellations out of Myrtle Beach and 45 out of Wilmington. Delta Airlines announced 150 flights were canceled due to Florence. Southwest Airlines put out a travel advisory for flights out of several airports, including…

As Hurricane Florence is expected to drop as much as 30 inches of rain on parts of the Carolinas, farmers are rushing to get their crops out of the ground and into storage. South Carolina state lawmaker and farmer Russell Ott has extra hands out on his 2,500-acre farm trying to get as much of his corn harvested as quickly as possible. He lives about an hour inland from Charleston and has been running two…

Keep an eye on these live video cameras to see how Hurricane Florence is affecting various parts of the Carolinas coastline. The center of the storm is expected to hit the coast sometime Friday. Here’s how things look at the Avalon fishing pier, on the northern end of the Outer Banks: [embedded content] And at the Oceanana Pier, south of New Bern, here’s how things look: [embedded content] At Edisto Beach, southwest of Charleston: You…

Here’s a quick 8 p.m. Charlotte-area forecast for Hurricane Florence, with more rain possibly on its way and the bad weather expected to last through Tuesday. At 3 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service put Charlotte, Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina under a flash-flood watch from Saturday morning to Tuesday morning.: When: While Florence’s wind speeds dropped to 100 mph Thursday afternoon, it remains a massive, powerful and widening storm. Bands of rainfall…

(This story was updated at 4:30 p.m. Eastern) Hurricane Florence’s “life threatening” storm surge arrived Thursday morning, breaching dunes and sending white water and sand washing across the only highway linking North Carolina’s barrier islands in the Outer Banks. NC 12 early Thursday, as waves generated by Hurricane Florence covered the highway with sand and surf. NCDOT The North Carolina Department of Transportation closed N.C. Highway 12 shortly after 1 p.m. between Hatteras Village and…