Heavy storms have once again put Western North Carolina on edge. Nearly a year after tropical storm Helene tore through the region, intense rainfall and severe weather returned this week, triggering new flooding threats and even a tornado, reported Fox Weather.
What's happening?
Communities in Western North Carolina, still rebuilding from last year's destruction, faced yet another scare this week.
Torrential rainfall and strong storms swept across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, prompting flood watches throughout the area.
According to Fox Weather, a high-end EF-1 tornado with winds around 105 mph touched down early Monday morning in Langley, South Carolina.
The storm damaged homes, uprooted trees, and tore off roofs.
This persistent low-pressure system lingered over the Southeast, pouring water onto already saturated ground.
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Duke Energy, which manages 11 lakes along the Catawba River, opened spillway gates in advance to manage rising water levels and urged residents in low-lying areas to remain alert.
Why is this event important?
Storms have always been part of life in the South, but they're packing more power than they used to.
Think of rising ocean temperatures like turning up the heat on a pot of water. Storms feed off that warmth and grow stronger.
As weather patterns shift, we're seeing more sudden downpours and extreme flooding that are harder to predict and plan for.
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For folks in Western North Carolina, it's a real-life setback. Many are still rebuilding from the last big storm, and now they're dealing with new damage, delays, and stress.
This kind of weather whiplash is becoming all too familiar across the country, from powerful hurricanes along the Gulf to surprise floods in the Northeast. These events damage homes and businesses, increase insurance premiums, and sometimes injure or kill people.
What's being done about the storm's effects?
People aren't sitting still. Utilities like Duke Energy are making proactive moves, like releasing water ahead of storms to ease the impact.
Local governments are rethinking infrastructure, adding more green space and stormwater systems that can better handle heavy rain.
In other places, creative ideas like sponge cities and rewilded floodplains are helping neighborhoods bounce back faster after floods.
Nature-based solutions like these have proved to boost resilience against extreme weather.
Simple home upgrades can help make a difference, too.
Installing solar panels in conjunction with a battery system can make your home more resilient and help you prepare for extreme weather events that cause extended grid outages while also bringing your cost of energy as low as $0.
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