Jon Coleman awoke around 4:30 the morning before Hurricane Florence made landfall near Wilmington. He shined his flashlight outside of his mother’s mobile home to look at what he was afraid of: multiple pine trees swaying dangerously in the howling wind. He went to his mother’s bedroom in the back of the trailer. “Mom, I think you better get out of that bedroom and come to the front of the house,” he told her. It’s…

Firefighters wash dead fish from section of I-40 previously flooded by Florence Sep 22, 2018 Members of the Penderlea Fire Dept. use a fire hose to wash dead fish left on a portion of I-40 near Wallace, N.C. as flood waters from Hurricane Florence receded Saturday, 22, 2018. By

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Governor Roy Cooper visited Brunswick County and Columbus County Saturday as he continued his survey of areas impacted by Hurricane Florence. During his various trips, he’s met with federal, state, and local officials, as well as evacuees and volunteers. RELATED: Governor Cooper visits Lumberton to assess damage “Florence has officially claimed 32 lives in North Carolina. We don’t want to lose any more people,” said Cooper during a Saturday morning press…

Dozens of vehicles slowly approached President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Saturday afternoon, blasting reggaeton and salsa as they drove by. They honked their horns and waved Puerto Rican flags draped from their car windows and trunks. They were on their way to a rally a few miles away to mark the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria. Despite the scorching hot sun, hundreds of activists showed up at the Meyer Amphitheater in West…

By Ken Smith, WRAL anchor/reporter Durham, N.C. — A business owner in Durham is helping donate boats to help with water rescues in Eastern North Carolina. Branden Patrick owns NC Marine, a boat dealer. He asked Missouri-based manufacturer Lowes Boats if the company could provide some loaners for fire departments in flooded areas. Instead, Lowes Boats sent five new boats with motors and trailers and are letting the rescue crews keep them. The inventory is…

By Ken Smith, WRAL anchor/reporter The WRAL Azalea Gardens on Saturday was the setting for a wedding that was postponed by Hurricane Florence. Brittany and Dave LaFave were supposed to get married last weekend in Wilmington. They evacuated to Florida and saw the devastation Florence left behind. Brittany is from Morehead City; Dave is from Wilmington. They started looking around for a different venue and picked the WRAL Azalea Gardens. “When that storm comes through,…

SPRING LAKE, N.C. (WTVD) — North Bragg Boulevard in Spring Lake hosted a donation drive for Florence victims called “Spring Lake Strong.” Saturday, the town tweeted pictures of donated supplies by people throughout the day. The town’s Twitter account went on to say Spring Lake is still accepting donations of non-perishable food, baby items, and water. Operation #springlakestrong is still going strong at the Sleep Inn at 1100 N. Bragg Blvd. in Spring Lake. They…

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) — The State of North Carolina and FEMA have opened a Disaster Recovery Center in Fayetteville to help victims of Hurricane Florence. The new center is located at 1225 Ramsey Street. The center will offer in-person support to individuals and businesses in the counties included in the North Carolina major disaster declaration for Hurricane Florence and the subsequent floods. RELATED: County-by-county list of closures: Over 500 roads still closed in NC Other…