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Samaritan's Purse continues to lead North Carolina relief efforts in wake of devastating Hurricane Helene

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Samaritan's Purse continues to lead North Carolina relief efforts in wake of devastating Hurricane Helene


Samaritan’s Purse, a humanitarian aid ministry, is not slowing down its relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Helene in its home state of North Carolina.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Edward Graham, COO of Samaritan’s Purse and an Army veteran, urges Americans to pray in the aftermath of storms like Helene and Milton.

“The greatest need that western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee need is prayer. We need a country praying,” he said.

But on the ground, Samaritan’s Purse is doing more than sharing the gospel with its teams of “orange shirts” volunteers.

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SAMARITAN’S PURSE CONTINUES HELENE RELIEF EFFORTS WITH THREE WATER FILTRATION SYSTEMS IN NORTH CAROLINA

Samaritan’s Purse has already coordinated the largest civilian airlift operation in U.S. history in its continued efforts to relieve those affected by Hurricane Helene, with 210 missions delivering emergency supplies completed according to numbers from an Oct. 11 release.

Graham and his wife, Kristen, are based in Boone, North Carolina, with their three sons and daughter. Their community was directly impacted by Helene. Edward’s father and president of Samaritan’s Purse, Franklin Graham, also lost power and heat. Edward Graham is the grandson of the late Rev. Billy Graham.

Samaritan’s Purse, based in Boone, N.C., got hit by Hurricane Helene in its own backyard last month. (Fox News Digital)

Part of the continued efforts to bring generators and heaters to North Carolinians as the temperatures drop is inspired by Graham’s experience in the cold.

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Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida on Sept. 26, is the second-deadliest storm to hit the U.S. mainland since 2000 — Hurricane Katrina in 2005 remains the worst. 

According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, 95 verified storm-fatalities have been recorded so far in the Tar Heel State, with 42 in Buncombe County alone.

THOSE SUFFERING FROM HURRICANE HELENE’S IMPACT GET HELP FROM REV. FRANKLIN GRAHAM AND SAMARITAN’S PURSE

With the presidential election taking place in just over two weeks, national attention on the hurricane’s aftermath and the people it affected has waned. 

“The vice president, the former president, aren’t going to solve the problems of North Carolina people living and serving their neighbor,” Graham told Fox News Digital. “That’s what’s going to change North Carolina here and the help that is needed. So I just ask the audience, be praying. And if you’re willing, go to samaritanspurse.org, you can find a way to sign up and volunteer.”

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Samaritan’s Purse volunteers have brought emergency supplies and the gospel to those in need across North Carolina and Tennessee after Hurricane Helene. (Courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse)

The majority of the relief missions flown by Samaritan’s Purse start from an airfield in its backyard in Boone.

“This is unprecedented. It’s a testimony to what can be done when people work together. It’s nothing short of a miracle and we give God the glory,” the Rev. Franklin Graham said in a news release. “We are thankful to God for bringing all of these people and groups together to help those who have been devastated by Helene.”

HELP PEOPLE AFFECTED BY HURRICANE HELENE HERE

Samaritan’s Purse is behind the largest civilian airlift operation in American history, delivering needed supplies across hurricane-hit North Carolina and beyond. (Courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse)

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Added Edward Graham: “So please, don’t take your attention off this. There’s a lot of work to be done. And if people really want to help, I need volunteers for the long haul.” 

“I need volunteers right now, but I need volunteers showing up in January, December, November, when it’s cold over the holiday season, when you’re warm with your family over the holiday,” he said. “Think about those in western North Carolina that aren’t.”

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Volunteers with Samaritan’s Purse are serving victims of Helene as well as Hurricane Milton across North Carolina, parts of Tennesee, Georgia and Florida.

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2026 primary turnout report released for eastern NC counties; see your county’s numbers

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2026 primary turnout report released for eastern NC counties; see your county’s numbers


Here are the voter turnout numbers for the 2026 primary election, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

Hyde County had the highest voter turnout, while Onslow County had the lowest turnout. Check out what the voter turnout in your county was below:

BERTIE COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

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31.85% (3,911 out of 12,280)

CARTERET COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

29.06% (16,543 out of 56,931)

CRAVEN COUNTY

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Ballots Cast:

18.63% (14,119 out of 75,778)

DUPLIN COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

21.93% (6,981 out of 31,832)

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EDGECOMBE COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

18.16% (6,428 out of 35,396)

GREENE COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

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19.70% (2,147 out of 10,900)

HYDE COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

37.27% (1,123 out of 3,013)

JONES COUNTY

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Ballots Cast:

25.91% (1,805 out of 6,966)

LENOIR COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

16.73% (6,251 out of 37,371)

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MARTIN COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

17.61% (2,858 out of 16,228)

ONSLOW COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

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11.44% (14,816 out of 129,537)

PAMLICO COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

24.03% (2,446 out of 10,180)

PITT COUNTY

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Ballots Cast:

15.71% (19,429 out of 123,705)

TYRRELL COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

30.49% (723 out of 2,371)

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WASHINGTON COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

28.66% (2,312 out of 8,067)

WAYNE COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

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21.49% (16,408 out of 76,358)



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Statewide tornado drill has NC schools and workplaces practicing safety

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Statewide tornado drill has NC schools and workplaces practicing safety


Wednesday, March 4, 2026 6:41PM

NC schools and businesses encouraged to practice tornado safety

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina schools and businesses took part in a statewide tornado drill Wednesday morning as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week.

The National Weather Service led the drill at 9:30 a.m., broadcasting it on NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System. Schools, workplaces and households across the state were encouraged to join in.

The National Weather Service didn’t issue a follow up alert to mark the end of the drill. Instead, each school or business wrapped up once they felt they had practiced the procedures thoroughly.

Wednesday’s drill also replaced the regular weekly NOAA Weather Radio test.

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SEE | New warning for parents amid new ‘fire-breathing’ social media trend

Make sure to download the ABC 11 Mobile App ABC11 North Carolina Apps for Connected TV, Mobile News, Echo

Copyright © 2026 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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North Carolina Rep. Valerie Foushee holds narrow lead over challenger Nida Allam

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North Carolina Rep. Valerie Foushee holds narrow lead over challenger Nida Allam


Nida Allam in 2022; Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) in 2025.

Jonathan Drake/Reuters; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images


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Jonathan Drake/Reuters; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Incumbent Rep. Valerie Foushee holds a narrow lead over challenger Nida Allam in the Democratic primary for North Carolina’s 4th Congressional district as ballots continue to be counted.

In a race seen as an early test of whether Democratic voters desire generational change within the party, Foushee holds a lead of just over 1,000 votes with 99% of results in so far, according to the Associated Press.

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Under state law, provisional votes will be counted in the coming days in a district that includes Durham and Chapel Hill. If the election results end up within a 1% margin, Allam could request a recount.

Successfully ousting an incumbent lawmaker is often extremely difficult and rare. However, there have been recent upsets in races as some voters are calling for new leaders and several sitting members of Congress face primary challengers this cycle.

Allam, a 32-year-old Durham County Commissioner, is running to the left of Foushee, 69, framing her candidacy as part of a broader rejection of longtime Democratic norms.

On the campaign trail, Allam ran on an anti-establishment message, pledging to be a stronger fighter than Foushee in Congress, both in standing up against President Trump’s agenda and when pushing for more ambitious policy.

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“North Carolina is a purple state that often gets labeled red, but we’re not a red state,” she told NPR in an interview last month, emphasizing the need to address affordability concerns. “We are a state of working-class folks who just want their elected officials to champion the issues that are impacting them.”

She drew a contrast with the congresswoman on immigration, voicing support for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Foushee has declined to go that far, advocating instead for ICE to be defunded and for broader reforms to the federal immigration system.

Allam also clashed with Foushee over U.S. policy towards Israel. As a vocal opponent of Israel’s war in Gaza, Allam swore off campaign donations from pro-Israel lobbying groups, such as AIPAC, and repeatedly criticized Foushee for previously accepting such funds.

Though Foushee announced last year that she would not accept AIPAC donations this cycle, she and Allam continued to spar over the broader role of outside spending in the race.

Their matchup comes four years after the candidates first squared off in 2022, when Allam lost to Foushee in what became the most expensive primary in the state’s history, with outside groups spending more than $3.8 million.

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However, this year is poised to break that record. Outside groups have reported spending more than $4.4 million on the primary matchup, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

WUNC’s Colin Campbell contributed to this report.



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