Floods, Outages Impact Central NC

Heavy rains soaked much of central North Carolina on Wednesday, as reports of fallen trees and car crashes caused by flash floods accompanied rising creeks and power outages.

More than 6 inches of rain fell at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, turning the golf course into a shallow lake, as seen in this video. In Raleigh, Crabtree Creek—where minor flood stage begins at 16 feet and major flood stage at 23 feet—rose from 4 to 12 feet near Crabtree Valley Mall by early afternoon.

Over 1,200 Duke Energy customers lost power Wednesday morning, though it had been mostly restored by the afternoon.

A flood watch remained in effect through midnight for most of the area, with flash flood warnings issued for Wake, Chatham, Lee, and Moore counties during the afternoon hours.

Judge Blocks FEMA Funding Reallocation

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that FEMA cannot redirect more than $4 billion in disaster preparedness funds, including North Carolina’s $225 million share, following a lawsuit led by Attorney General Jeff Jackson and 19 other Democrat-led states last month over the agency’s decision to cancel the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program.

The lawsuit followed a bipartisan letter signed by North Carolina Republicans Rep. Chuck Edwards and Sen. Thom Tillis urging FEMA to reinstate the funds.

The canceled grants, allocated from BRIC funds, impacted projects that protect water, sewer, and electrical systems from storms, such as Salisbury’s $22.5 million pump station relocation, Gastonia’s $5.9 million creek restoration, and Mount Pleasant’s $4 million stormwater improvements.

The ruling secures a preliminary injunction, preserving the funds as the legal battle continues.

PBS NC Makes Voluntary Separation Offers

PBS North Carolina is offering voluntary separation to most permanent employees following nearly $9 million in federal funding cuts mandated by Congress.

CEO David Crabtree emphasized the necessity of the Reorganization Through Reduction (RTR) program to minimize involuntary layoffs, stating, “We did not create this—it was dictated by Congress. Nonetheless, we will play the hand we’re dealt and pledge to continue to be good stewards of our budgets.”

To manage the $4.8 million annual loss, PBS NC has implemented a hiring freeze, cut non-personnel expenses, and eliminated vacant positions.

Despite financial challenges, PBS NC said it remains committed to delivering trusted public media and supporting North Carolina’s emergency communications infrastructure.

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➤ Statewide: Gov. Josh Stein said Tuesday that he will sign what he’s calling the “Band-Aid” mini-budget because “it does keep the lights on,” but criticized its lack of raises for state employees and partial Medicaid rebasing. (See Details)

➤ NC Coast: The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources is awarding over $9.39 million for beach and dune renourishment projects in Buxton, Avon, Oak Island, Carteret County, and Currituck County. (More)

➤ Dare County approved year-round dredging permits for the Rodanthe-Stumpy Point Emergency Ferry Channel, enabling independent maintenance to ensure access to Hatteras Island during storms. (More)

➤ Durham: Parks and Recreation received a $500,000 grant from the Great Trails State Program to address slope failure mitigation and repaving along the American Tobacco Trail. (More)

➤ Charlotte: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte is supporting Charlotte Latin School in a lawsuit over the 2021 expulsion of two students, arguing that First Amendment rights protect the school’s contract-based decision. (See Details)

➤ Swannanoa artists are preparing an exhibit to showcase their responses to Hurricane Helene and share stories of affected residents, scheduled for the storm’s one-year anniversary weekend, Sept. 27-28. (More)

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➤ A group of fishermen from North Carolina caught a 929.5-pound marlin off the Maryland coast this week, which is expected to earn them $4.4 million in the White Marlin Open fishing tournament. (More)

➤ Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller is launching a scholarship program offering $20,000 toward college tuition for nontraditional students. (More)

➤ The Carolina Panthers released their first unofficial depth chart of the season, which lists first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan as one of the team’s three starting wide receivers. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Soccer | WNBA 

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➤ North Carolina’s fisheries yielded over 64.7 million pounds of seafood in 2024, with commercial harvests at 45.6 million pounds and recreational harvests at just over 19 million pounds, according to a state report. (More)

➤ Michigan-based SPAR Group, a retail and brand services provider, is relocating its headquarters to Charlotte’s South End neighborhood in October, citing the city’s growth, talent, and proximity to major retailers. (More)

➤ Charlotte-based Duke Energy sold 19.7% of its Florida utility for $6 billion to Brookfield Asset Management to help fund grid modernization and reduce its debt, while reporting strong second-quarter earnings and making plans to expand capacity. (More)

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➤ Three critically endangered red wolf pups born at Durham’s Museum of Life and Science have been named Ember, Proton, and Scuppernong in honor of nature, science, and North Carolina’s flora. (Watch Report)

➤ Four North Carolina waterfalls featured in a recent report as easily accessible hidden gems include Soco Falls, Whitewater Falls, Dry Falls, and Looking Glass Falls. (See Photos)

➤ Christian Corbitt, founder of Apex Fossils, discovered a nearly 6-inch Megalodon tooth 35 miles off the Wilmington coast during advanced decompression dives. He also recovered 33 fossil shark teeth, fossilized whale ribs, and other ancient relics. (See Photos)

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Yesterday’s Results:

Should absentee ballots only be counted on Election Day?

1. Absolutely: 55%
2. No way: 18%
3. I’m willing to try it: 14%
4. Don’t care: 13%

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