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Helene continues to strengthen and could reach category 4 status before making landfall in Florida. The cloud cover from the storm extends hundreds of miles and will impact central North Carolina with heavy rain, strong winds and the chance for isolated tornadoes.

Hurricane Helene to bring 'catastrophic, life-threatening' flooding to parts of NC with widespread outages & tornadoes possible

<p>I'm Wral. Meteorologist K Campbell Hurricane Helene is likely to undergo rapid intensification over the next 24 hours. It's moving north right now at 12 MPH. Still a category one hurricane likely now to strengthen into a category four hurricane on its approach to the Florida Big Bend region. Top winds now forecast to be at 130 MPH. It is possible that number could go up the track veers a bit to the west after that. But the bottom line here is that this is a massive hurricane. The initial tropical storm force winds extend about 400 miles when it makes landfall. So we're still likely to see significant impacts in western North Carolina. Tropical storm warnings are posted and that includes the North Carolina Mountains and Charlotte even hurricane warnings. Well, inland in Georgia, here's a closer look at the tropical storm warning for parts of North and South Carolina. Asheville included. Boone is not, but Charlotte's included as well. So let's take a look here at Futurecast, a cold front already bringing dangerous flooding to the mountains tonight, Thursday, we've got the cold front and the moisture from Helene that ramp up flooding risks to a high risk in the mountains. And we expect landfall to come Thursday evening, Atlanta in the direct path and this could be pretty close to hurricane strength even as far inland as North Georgia expect big impacts to travel and air travel there in Atlanta. For us. The worst of this comes very, very early Friday morning through the early afternoon hours. That's when we're going to see the worst of the rain, the winds and that tornado threat. But it does look like we'll begin to dry out by Friday evening. We'll have a much closer look on WRL news tonight at 10 and 11 at our local impacts and what to expect in the mountains. I also have a video on wrl.com with more on our local impacts. Go to our weather story.</p>

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2024 Atlantic hurricane season update

Path of Helene as of Sept. 26, 2024 at 5 a.m.

Hurricane Helene prompts WRAL Weather Alert Days, impacts felt from Triangle west 

Central NC rain totals Sept. 26-27, 2024

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Possible tornado seen near Blowing Rock ahead of Hurricane Helene arrival

Tornado in Blowing Rock

'A case of epic tragedy': Father of Hedingham teen accused in mass shooting pleads guilty to misdemeanor firearm storage charge

Alan Thompson, father of Austin Thompson, accused Hedingham shooter

NC residents, Duke Energy preparing for Hurricane Helene

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US and allies call for an immediate 21-day cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah

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WRAL WeatherCenter Forecast

Dennis Draughon, Capitol Broadcasting Company's editorial cartoonist.

DRAUGHON DRAWS: From Capitol Broadcasting Co.'s cartoonist

DRAUGHON DRAWS: GOP's election fraud claims? Just another fish story

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) -- A slow-motion catastrophe has been playing out in the coastal North Carolina village of Rodanthe, where 10 houses have fallen into the Atlantic since 2020. Three have been lost since Friday.

10 homes have collapsed into the Carolina surf. Their destruction was decades in the making

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Helene is set to bring rain, wind and the threat of tornadoes to North Carolina. We're answering your questions here.

Q&A: Helene's impact on North Carolina, your plans

Meteorologist Chris Michaels has a Q&A breakdown of Helene

Wayne County sheriff's deputy Michael Kenneth Cox received a six-year, two-month prison sentence for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy and a mail and wire fraud conspiracy.

Wayne County deputy sentenced to six-plus years for drug trafficking and fraud conspiracies

Michael Cox

A 10th person has died in the listeria outbreak that shuttered a Boar's Head deli meat plant, federal health officials said Wednesday.

10th death reported in Boar's Head deli meat listeria outbreak

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On Wednesday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said former President Donald Trump should suffer political consequences for endorsing embattled Republican gubernatorial nominee, Mark Robinson.

Trump 'needs to suffer the consequences' for Mark Robinson, Cooper says

Anti-Trump Burnout: The Resistance Says Itâs Exhausted

In the Triangle and across the state, several roads have closed due to floodwaters and downed trees. This comes as we prepare for even more rain from Hurricane Helene.


Roads and lakes closed in Wake County as heavy rains cause overflows and strand drivers

Roxboro sinkhole

NEW YORK (AP) â A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further regulate fluoride in drinking water because high levels could pose a risk to the intellectual development of children.

Fluoride in drinking water poses enough risk to merit new EPA action, judge says

Fluoride_01476

A video of a Cary man jackhammering a trail entrance has gone viral on Reddit, sparking a debate over property rights.

Cary homeowner's jackhammering of trail entrance sparks dispute over its access

As we get closer to the election, local authorities are reminding residents about possible legal trouble for removing political campaign signs from their neighbors' yards after two residents said they had signs stolen in Raleigh.

Raleigh neighbors report illegal campaign sign theft

Campaign signs

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Gen V: Teen Vaping in North Carolina airs this Thursday on Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m. on WRAL. Tune in to discover the influence of Big Tobacco.

WRAL Documentary: Gen V: Teen Vaping in North Carolina

Gen V: Teen Vaping in North Carolina

Plan ahead with simple steps to protect your home and your family, and you won't get flooded with worry the next time a hurricane is headed for the Carolina coast.

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Prepare for hurricane season before winds blow, water rises

The blue sea dragon (Glaucus atlanticus) was recently spotted washing up on the Outer Banks.

Blue sea dragons make for interesting, yet venomous sight along Outer Banks

Blue sea dragon

With hurricane season approaching, it's important to memorize coastal evacuation plans and routes in case of a severe storm.

Hurricane evacuation plans and routes for the North Carolina coast

evacuation routes

North Carolina Republican nominee for governor Mark Robinson is under pressure from some in his party after a CNN report alleged that he described himself as a "Black Nazi" on a pornographic website. 

What happens if Mark Robinson drops out of race for NC governor?

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson speaks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee

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Duke Energy crews are preparing for the possibility of widespread outages with heavy rain and strong winds in the forecast on Friday.

Duke Energy prepares for Helene, potential for widespread outages

Duke Energy power trucks

Raleigh neighbors report illegal political sign theft

Mountains prepare for historic flooding from Hurricane Helene

Caught on cam: Tornado near Blowing Rock, NC

Cary doctor explains what it was like to treat bombing victims in Gaza

Dr. Ayaz Pathan

Top members of Mark Robinson's state office to resign

Video Central

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Man shot Wednesday night on Cornwallis Road, Durham police say

Local News

Clayton police searching for suspects wanted for armed robbery at Domino's Pizza 

North Carolina Supreme Court weighs future of CSX plant near Richmond County water source

Man charged in 2 Raleigh bank robberies, including PNC Bank and Wells Fargo

IBMA World of Bluegrass Festival takes final bow in Raleigh this week

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted, sources say

Nation/World

Passenger killed when gunman hijacks Los Angeles bus and leads police on downtown chase

Ex-CIA officer convicted of groping coworker in spy agency's latest sexual misconduct case

California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoes bill to help Black families reclaim taken land

A renowned Raleigh artist is turning a pair of power poles at Dix Park into enormous sunflowers.

Sunflower tower installation begins at Dix Park

Dix pole sunflowers

UNC Asheville grad's peak fall color website a helpful guide for NC leaf peepers

Fall colors shine along Blue Ridge Parkway as foliage 

Top 10 fine dining experiences in the Triangle area

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Music icon Stevie Wonder brings 'Sing Your Song' tour to Greensboro: A night of healing and hope

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Wawa in Wilson: Wawa celebrates grand opening of 2 new Wilson locations 

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Out & About

Fact check: Is rape up 53% in NC since Josh Stein became Attorney General?

Politifact

Democrats, LGBTQ+ groups criticize Michele Morrow post

NC education candidate Michele Morrow falsely says the 'plus' in 'LGBTQ+' includes support for pedophilia

From eating dogs to Taylor Swift: Fact-checking Kamala Harris and Donald Trump's first 2024 presidential debate

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Weight-loss drugmaker CEO faces questions over high costs

NC Capitol

Ozempic, Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk questioned over high cost of weight-loss drugs

Under pressure to prove porn-site denial, Robinson hires law firm 

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Education

NC State warns community about recent string of vehicle break-ins at residence hall, Greek Village, StateView Hotel

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Place your bets: The top 5 sports Americans wager money on

WRAL In Depth

Wife of Hamas hostage from North Carolina fights for his freedom

If Mark Robinson drops out of race for NC governor, his name will remain on ballots

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NC State, UNC and Duke release ACC men's basketball schedule

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North Pitt and Washington settle for tie in matchup of standout ENC boys soccer teams

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WRAL spent months speaking to doctors, people who work for the state and a lot of young people. All said the same thing - kids are finding ways to get vape products, even those to0 young to purchase them legally.

Undercover: 10 of 12 vape stores sell to young woman without carding

Teen advocates at the Poe Center for Health Education in Raleigh said they don't think it is difficult for underage people to get vapes. 

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Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson's alleged rejection of the offers sowed doubt among some staff members, people familiar with the matter tell WRAL. His response in the wake of the report likely played a role in the exodus of members of his gubernatorial campaign staff, they said.

Mark Robinson says he'll go 'after' CNN, but turns down offer of help to disprove its bombshell story

Two different families in Franklin County say BMB Contractors has caused them huge problems.The owner is now facing felony charges.

Contractor faces felony charges related to Franklin Co. home dispute

Two different families in Franklin County say BMB Contractors has caused them huge problems. 

Contractor 5 On Your Side recently investigated has been arrested

BMB Contractors 

Robinson rejected offers of tech help to investigate posts on porn site, sources say

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WRAL Specialists

Protecting consumers from dangerous products sold by Amazon

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Northern Wake Senior Center works to curb fall frequency 

5 On Your Side

Man killed outside barbershop Saturday in Clinton

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Steve Rao: AIâs impact on jobs is the missing issue in election-year debate

David Gardner: No profit, no problem: Why SaaS companies sell for millions without profitability

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Mucinex maker eyes 289-job expansion in Wilson. NC approves $6.2M incentives package

Noteworthy Thursday Option Activity: RGR, HOMB, USCR