North Carolina News

47 seconds ago Photo: MGN (AP)—Crews battled wildfires in North and South Carolina on Sunday amid dry conditions and gusty winds as residents were forced to evacuate in some areas. The National Weather Service warned of increased fire danger in the region due to a combination of critically dry fuels and very low relative humidity. In South Carolina, where more than 175 fires burned 6.6 square miles (17 square kilometers), Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of…

8 minutes ago Flooding from Helene in Asheville, NC (Photo: MGN/WGRZ-TV) SWANNANOA, N.C. (AP) — The tops of dried, bent cornstalks crunch underfoot. Jill Holtz’s gaze is fixed on the ground ahead. She wanders into the nearby woods and weaves between twisted branches. Then, Holtz spots something and starts to riffle through the withered twigs. To the untrained eye, it’s easy to overlook. But for Holtz, it’s instantaneous recognition. Scraggly, white lines give the appearance…

28 seconds ago North Carolina General Assembly RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Another $500 million would be spent toward Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in western North Carolina in legislation the state House unanimously approved Tuesday. The measure, if enacted, would add to the funds the Republican-controlled General Assembly already approved in late 2024 to spend on disaster recovery activities following the historic flooding in the mountains in September. But Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, who took office in January,…

1 minute ago A firefighter carries a drip torch as he ignites a backfire against the Hughes Fire burning along a hillside in Castaic, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked Congress to approve nearly $40 billion in aid to help the Los Angeles area recover from January’s devastating wildfires, which he said could become the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Newsom sent…

22 seconds ago FEMA (Photo: MGN Online) SWANNANOA, N.C. (AP) — Emily Russell remembers feeling hopeful after she managed to get an appointment with the Federal Emergency Management Agency not long after Hurricane Helene ripped though her home in Swannanoa, North Carolina. But after several assistance requests were denied or left pending, Russell says the agency has been of “no help” to her family after the late September storm. Still reeling in a world turned upside-down by the most damaging storm in…

11 minutes ago Cars sit in floodwaters at a railroad underpass in Louisville, Ky., Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley) LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Harsh weather moved west on Monday as a polar vortex was expected to grip the Rockies and the northern Plains after winter storms pummeled the eastern U.S. over the weekend, killing at least 10 people, including nine victims in Kentucky who died during flooding from heavy rains. The National Weather Service warned of…