The grants are for the program’s Phases 3 and 4 for communities to cover local costs of moving their projects “from concept to completion, building a stronger future by protecting residents and the coastal economy,” DEQ Secretary Elizabeth Biser said.
storms
Red flags fly on most North Carolina beaches
Red warning flags whip against the wind Friday in Atlantic Beach, notifying swimmers to not enter the water. Life-threatening rip currents were likely and the surf zone dangerous for all levels of swimmers on all North Carolina beaches north of Cape Fear Friday, according to the National Weather Service’s experimental Beach Forecast webpage, which is color-coded to indicate the forecast rip current risk level. Yellow flags indicating moderate conditions flew on Brunswick County beaches Friday. Conditions had improved to moderate to low risk Monday. Photo: Dylan Ray
Overhead lines
Lines of clouds move over Askin near New Bern and the power lines overhead as part of a weekend weather front. Photo: Dylan Ray
Hurricane season begins; officials advise detailed planning
While forecasters see a “very high chance of a very active hurricane season,” the main point to remember is that preparation is key because it only takes one storm to disrupt lives.
Proposed mobile home insurance hikes hearing April 2025
The state Department of Insurance has set a hearing for April 2025 in Raleigh on the N.C. Rate Bureau’s requested increase of 49.9% and 82.9% for two types of mobile home policies.
Rachel Carson Reserve: Beaufort’s barrier to raging storms
In our ongoing look at the Coastal Area Management Act’s 50th anniversary this year, this Carteret County jewel of the Coastal Reserve Program also provides important protection.
State’s flood warning system for roads wins national award
The N.C. Department of Transportation’s advance-detection warning system is a winner of the 2024 Environmental Excellence Award presented by the Federal Highway Administration.
Photographer captures Buxton beach after storm damage
Don Bowers, who has been documenting storms in the northern Buxton beach area for decades, says the damage from this week’s low-pressure system “is as bad as I’ve ever seen it.”
Emergency sandbag work on NC 12 set to begin Monday
The work involves replacing about 800 sandbags damaged or displaced during recent storms and restoring the protective barrier between N.C. 12 and the Atlantic Ocean on the northern end of Ocracoke Island.
State’s Flood Resiliency Blueprint a necessary new approach
Commentary: Building flood resilience across the state saves $6 for every $1 spent before disaster strikes, and a new tool developed in collaboration with numerous stakeholders can help local leaders determine where to invest.
Surveys to guide moves to save cultural sites on state lands
Rising sea levels are increasing erosion along the North Carolina coast, threatening to destroy forever important cultural artifacts on state lands, but archaeologists are working on a plan to protect the sites.
Property insurance community roundtable set for Jan. 17
The open house and roundtable discussions with insurance specialists are scheduled for 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, at Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center on Harkers Island.
Pace of cyclone strengthening has doubled since 1971
A study from Rowan University in New Jersey has drawn a connection between the number of rapidly strengthening tropical Atlantic hurricanes in recent years and documented increases in ocean temperatures.
Five years after Florence: A look back at resilience efforts
Guest commentary: The effects of Hurricane Florence in 2018 linger today, and though progress toward resilience has been made, the recent loss of wetland protections will come to bear after future storms.
Precautionary swimming advisory lifted at most NC sites
State recreational water quality officials lifted Friday the precautionary advisory against swimming issued Aug. 31 due to Tropical Storm Idalia in all coastal waters.
Power restoration underway
A Duke Energy truck is seen passing through floodwater along Community Road in Davis in Down East Carteret County Thursday as the effects of Tropical Storm Idalia on the North Carolina coast became clear in the morning light. The utility said that high winds and flooding left about 20,000 Duke Energy customers without power Thursday morning, but more than 60,000 customers have had power restored since Wednesday.
