Raleigh North Carolina News

ERWIN, Tenn. (Gray News) – A body that was buried in North Carolina was washed into Tennessee due to flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in September, according to Erwin Police Chief Regan Tilson. Officials said the body was buried in Whitson Cemetery in Yancey County in 2006. The flood waters washed the body to Unicoi County. Details about the identification of the body were not released. Helene brought widespread devastation to western North Carolina, causing…

We’re learning more about Helene’s historic impact about seven weeks after it blew through North Carolina. A recent report from the North Carolina Forest Service says that 27% of the affected forestland had at least some tree damage. In this report, they say this may be the most damaging wind event since Hurricane Fran in 1996 and Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Helene’s wind damage according to the North Carolina Forest Service The North Carolina State…

Visitors returned to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville Saturday after a 36-day closure due to flooding caused by Hurricane Helene. Crews worked around the clock to repair and prepare the estate in time for the holiday season, allowing the historic site to reopen safely. “We have the best team in the world that’s been working tirelessly to clean up the estate and get us ready to reopen for the holidays,” said Chase Pickering, a fifth-generation…

The neighborhood known as Beacon Village in Swannanoa, North Carolina, is continuing to sort through the damage from Hurricane Helene. The western North Carolina neighborhood originally built in the 1920s is comprised of old mill houses. The neighborhood was hit hard when water from the Swannanoa River collided with floodwaters coming down from the mountains. “It was insane,” said volunteer Karl Loftus, who has spent five weeks on the ground helping. “[It’s] the worst thing…

By WRAL Staff The Carolina Hurricanes Foundation has stepped up to support the Asheville Hockey League in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The Foundation has announced a $50,000 donation to help rebuild the organization’s outdoor hockey rink, which was destroyed by the storm. “We were heartbroken to hear about the devastation to the Asheville Hockey League’s rink,” said Doug Warf, President of the Carolina Hurricanes. “This rink is a vital part of the community, providing…

Hurricane Helen’s impact has been widespread, affecting many facets of life, including domestic violence victims. We’ve all seen the physical devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene. Damaged roads, destroyed bridges and homes lost. Yet there are hidden issues that often go unnoticed. WRAL News asked Carrie Ann Fisher, the executive director of the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence: Why do we typically see an increase in domestic violence incidents following a disaster?” Fisher responds…

Thousands met at the Bank of America Stadium on Saturday for the Concert for Carolina. The country music event was put on to raise money and awareness for those impacted in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene.   “This is great because they need even more support and it’s going to go on for a long time,” one Charlotte resident said. The concert saw artists like Luke Combs, Scotty McCreery and Chase Rice take the stage…

By ZACH MARTIN, Associated Press SEATTLE — SEATTLE (AP) — Seth Jarvis had a goal and an assist, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Seattle Kraken 4-1 on Saturday night for their third consecutive win. Andrei Svechnikov, Dmitry Orlov and Jack Drury also scored for Carolina, which won for the fifth time in six games overall. Frederik Anderson made 18 saves. Jarvis gave the Hurricanes a 3-1 lead with 4:22 left, and Orlov closed it…

Though he grew up in Virginia and now lives in Tennessee, Ketch Secor says his heart is in North Carolina. “I look to those mountains for my inspiration and my heart really,” the  founder and frontman of Old Crow Medicine Show told WRAL Thursday “If your heart is really for the western mountains in North Carolina, it’s broken now.” Old Crow Medicine Show started playing together more than 25 years ago and got it’s first break on the…

Losing a home in a natural disaster once is traumatizing enough. Twice is something Josie Borg tells WRAL she’d worried she and her family may not make it through. “Last time we were really surprised what 8 inches can do to your house and this time it’s eight feet of water,” said Borg. “It’s just a whole different scenario.” Borg is in her third trimester, carrying her fourth child. She and her family now have…

Governor Cooper and the State Budget Director are set to announce their recommendations for disaster recovery funding on Wednesday, following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. The two will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. at the Albemarle Building. As the need for assistance grows, many are eager to learn what relief efforts to expect. The storm, one of the worst natural disasters in the state’s history, has fostered a rare sense of bipartisanship,…

A group of right-wing political activists is calling for North Carolina lawmakers to decide how the state votes in 2024, overriding the right of the people to cast their ballots. The group said Hurricane Helene’s damage has made it impossible to have a secure election. Ivan Raiklin has dubbed himself former President Donald Trump’s “secretary of retribution.” Raiklin was a speaker this past weekend at a Christian Nationalist rally in Selma. He told the crowd…

Organizers of the annual National Gingerbread House Competition have canceled this year’s event due to the damage from Hurricane Helene. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Asheville and the surrounding communities have struggled to recover, leading to Grove Park Inn’s decision to cancel the competition. It was supposed to be the 32nd year for the event. “We are saddened that we cannot come together formally this year to honor their ginger-works-of-art, but we eagerly look…

RUTHERFORDTON, N.C. (AP) — Renee Kyro already has voted for Republican nominee Donald Trump for the third consecutive presidential election. But she plans to volunteer for the first time, reaching out to her neighbors in hurricane-battered western North Carolina to make sure they have a voting plan amid a flurry of precinct changes. “I want to say I’m confident he wins, but I’m worried that people are just overwhelmed and may need some help or…

In the wake of Hurricanes Milton and Helene, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a warning to North Carolina taxpayers about scammers posing as charitable organizations to get personal and financial information from unsuspecting donors. Scammers commonly set up fake charities to take advantage of peoples’ generosity during natural disasters and other tragic events. “Many people want to assist survivors and their families by donating to charities,” said Danny Werfel, IRS Commissioner. “Unfortunately, criminals frequently…