It was a strange vacation — it began with a bit of guilt. I had just gotten off a plane in Seattle and rented a car. Cindy and I were driving to Mount Rainier on our way to Oregon when my cell phone rang. It was WRAL-TV asking if I could help cover Hurricane Florence. When I told them that Cindy and I had just begun our long-awaited retirement vacation to the Pacific Northwest, the…

Eleven days ago, Lee Gantt was at a Hurricane Florence party in her neighborhood in Georgetown, where the story goes that some houses haven’t flooded from the Sampit River since they were built before the American Revolution. She will spend Tuesday with sandbags, watching the nearby river rise from Florence’s heavy rains and seeing if the luck finally runs out on her home built on Front Street in 1737. “We thought this might be coming….

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Healthcare workers are warning victims of Hurricane Florence that they could encounter health problems during the cleanup. Fifty local, state and national groups came together in Raleigh to help hurricane victims avoid those risks. The meeting launched a three-day event featuring Healthy Hoops, a health program targeting asthma, one of the many potential health risks associated with surviving a flood. Don’t play in the floodwater, health director warns Cumberland County’s health…

By Kasey Cunningham, WRAL reporter Kelly, N.C. — As North Carolina continues to recover from the relentless pounding delivered by Hurricane Florence, there are parts of the state that remain completely cut off from everyone. Some rural areas of North Carolina have been hit hard by Florence and they’re still not free from the threat of flooding. According to Bladen County Emergency Services, residents of Kelly were still being evacuated Sunday. Getting into Kelly has…

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WTVD) — The new Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper has said on several occasions that he’s committed to helping the “Carolina Community.” Those words are being backed up to help Hurricane Florence victims. Close to 80 staff members and players spent the beginning of the team’s off week packing relief boxes. That included David Tepper, himself, alongside Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly. The assembly line style effort produced 1,500 boxes. The plan is…

KINSTON, N.C. (WTVD) — it’s cleanup time for many businesses along the Neuse River in Kinston that were flooded by Hurricane Florence. Laura Pressly and her crew are hard at work cleaning up her children’s store. She’s owned La Petit Boutique for more than 35 years. Hurricanes Floyd, Matthew, and Florence have each wrecked her shop. “I’m still here. Ready to go again.” Pressly’s merchandise is in storage and will be back on display by…