Learn more about how to plan and prepare for severe weather in North Carolina. Explore resources from PBS North Carolina and the Department of Public Safety below, including live news briefings when severe weather strikes, resources to make a household plan, tools for kids, and science reporting from Sci NC and other PBS programs.
In response to Hurricane Helene, PBS North Carolina is working with state and local officials to share critical information and resources.
To find open shelters, county resources and more, visit the NC Department of Public Safety’s website. >
Staying informed is crucial. As your public media network, PBS North Carolina shares emergency briefings, safety alerts and urgent resources to ensure that everyone across the state has the info they need to stay safe and secure.
PBS NC provides livestreams of all briefings from the NC Governor and Emergency Operations Center. Briefings will be available on our website and YouTube, in English & Spanish with ASL translations on screen.
The livestreams feeds are always live on pbsnc.org/emergency, and we publish alerts to our website when briefings are scheduled.
North Carolina Emergency Management works to enhance the state's resiliency by actively collaborating, communicating and coordinating to prevent, mitigate, respond and recover from disasters. The agency deploys state resources when needed, and coordinates with neighboring states and the federal government to augment staffing and resources.
Hurricane Helene
To find open shelters, county resources and more, visit the NC Department of Public Safety’s Hurricane Helene webpage.
North Carolina’s coast is one of the nation’s most vulnerable areas to a direct hurricane strike because its coastline extends out into the ocean. All areas of the state – from coastal and sound counties to the mountains – have been impacted by hurricanes in the past 20 years.
Explore these resources from ReadyNC.gov to create emergency plans with your family or household, prepare an emergency supplies kit and learn how to stay informed for severe weather alerts and more.
Learn more about the state's designated evacuation routes, when to evacuate and how to do so safely.
Every household needs an emergency plan to know where you will go if you have to evacuate, and how you will communicate.
How well you pull through an emergency often rests on how well you plan and prepare. While each person’s skills and needs differ, everyone can take steps to get ready for all types of emergencies.
Pets are key members of a family. You need to include your pets in your family emergency plan and have an emergency kit for them too!
On September 16, 1999, Hurricane Floyd made landfall in NC and became the costliest hurricane in the state’s history. Richard Moore and Joe Stewart (both formerly of the NC Department of Public Safety) and Jay Barnes (former director of NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores) discuss the storm’s impact on infrastructure, travel and agriculture and its cleanup costs. Host: PBS NC’s Kelly McCullen.
Find resources and activities from PBS KIDS favorites like "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood," "Arthur" and more to help children prepare for and cope with emergency situations.
Learn about hurricanes with Ms. Dickerson from Durham, NC in this spot from Teacher Time.
When a powerful hurricane hits Elwood City, everyone's affected. Ladonna's dad is called up by the Army Corps of Engineers. Muffy relocates to a shelter, while Arthur struggles to reunite lost pets and owners. And Brain seeks the help of a therapist (voiced by special guest Idina Menzel) to help him manage his anxiety.
Please be advised that PBS KIDS videos played on pbsnc.org may show short PBS general audience ads before the video. You can also watch these shows on pbskids.org and on the free PBS KIDS Video App.
Researchers are studying how much damage a hurricane does to the valuable seagrass beds.
The National Weather Service, which has predicted a busier than normal hurricane season, will harness new tech, including AI, to help communities stay safe.
A new category for hurricane intensity may be needed as storms become more fierce due to climate change.
The advanced flood-warning system will help NC’s Department of Transportation respond to flooded roads and washed-out culverts.
Sci NC
A new study shows how water and weather conditions along the Atlantic Coast have made the area a breeding ground for supercharged hurricanes.
Hurricanes bring wind, rain, and destruction—but how do they form?
Hurricanes, typhoons, and tropical cyclones are Earth’s most powerful storms. As climate change warms Earth’s oceans, we face more risk of storms rapidly intensifying into category 5, sometimes in less than a single day. So in order to improve our understanding of hurricanes, scientists have built a machine that can create hurricane conditions indoors.
Both climate models and the laws of physics are clear: more greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere means warmer air and oceans, which means more energy for bigger, stronger hurricanes. So why haven’t we seen a clear signal from climate change in the hurricane record? This episode explores groundbreaking research on this question and looks ahead at what we can expect in the coming decades.
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