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Severe storms expected in Western NC, tornado possible: See the latest forecast

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Severe storms expected in Western NC, tornado possible: See the latest forecast


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Severe weather is expected in Western North Carolina beginning tonight, Saturday, March 15.

National Weather Service forecasts call for showers and thunderstorms as well as gusty winds Saturday night through Sunday night. A wind advisory and hazardous weather outlook have been issued, warning residents of the area of possible danger brought by the storm front.

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Here’s what we know about the hazards beginning Saturday night.

Heavy wind warning

A wind advisory issued by the NWS at 1:56 p.m. on Saturday, March 15, is affecting Buncombe, Graham, Haywood, Macon, Madison, Northern Jackson, Southern Jackson and Swain Counties. The advisory, in affect from 6 p.m. Saturday until 2 p.m. Sunday, warns of south winds reaching 20-30 mph with gusts of 40-50 mph expected in the valleys. Winds will gust as high as 70 mph on high peaks and ridgetops.

Winds of this force may blow around unsecured objects and blow down tree limbs, potentially resulting in some power outages. Extra precaution is also advised for drivers, as driving may be more difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.

Thunderstorms, possible flooding, tornadoes

A hazardous weather outlook issued by the NWS at 2:53 p.m. on Saturday, March 15, is affecting northeast Georgia, WNC and Upstate South Carolina. Also in affect 6 p.m. Saturday to 2 p.m. Sunday, the outlook warns of a powerful storm system that will bring heavy rain and severe storms.

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Main hazards mentioned in the outlook included damaging wind gusts, as well as “a strong tornado or two” possible in the affected region during the storm. In a Friday report from the Citizen Times, NWS Meteorologist Chris Horne said that while no widespread or severe flooding is expected, some areas of WNC could see heavy or excessive rainfall that could lead to isolated flooding. This was reiterated in the outlook, with highest possibility for flooding in the S.C., Georgia and southwest N.C. mountains.

Strong to severe storms may redevelop Sunday afternoon, but NWS confidence is currently low.

Asheville weekend weather

Saturday, March 15 – Showers and possibly a thunderstorm beginning overnight. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 57 degrees. Breezy, with a south southeast wind 16 to 21 mph and gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

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Sunday, March 16 – Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 12 p.m., then a slight chance of showers between 12-1 p.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 71 degrees. South southeast wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. A 40 percent chance of showers remains between 7 p.m.-1 a.m. Mostly cloudy Sunday night, with a low around 35 degrees. North northwest wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Hendersonville weekend weather

Saturday, March 15 – Scattered showers, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1 a.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 58 degrees. Breezy, with a south wind 17 to 24 mph and gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

Sunday, March 16 – Showers and thunderstorms before 12 p.m., then a slight chance of showers between 12-1 p.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Patchy fog between 7-8 a.m. High near 69 degrees. Breezy, with a south southwest wind 17 to 21 mph and gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. A 20 percent chance of showers continues before 2 a.m. Partly cloudy overnight, with a low around 37 degrees. West wind 7 to 14 mph becoming north northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.

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Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.



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NC Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 Day results for May 6, 2026

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The NC Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Wednesday, May 6, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from May 6 drawing

18-27-51-65-68, Powerball: 05, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 6 drawing

Day: 1-5-8, Fireball: 5

Evening: 4-5-6, Fireball: 3

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 6 drawing

Day: 1-7-1-5, Fireball: 5

Evening: 4-1-3-8, Fireball: 1

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Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 5 numbers from May 6 drawing

07-19-34-36-43

Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Double Play numbers from May 6 drawing

04-06-11-25-43

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 6 drawing

06-18-30-32-43, Bonus: 01

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Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All North Carolina Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.

For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at North Carolina Lottery Offices. By mail, send a prize claim form, your signed lottery ticket, copies of a government-issued photo ID and social security card to: North Carolina Education Lottery, P.O. Box 41606, Raleigh, NC 27629. Prize claims less than $600 do not require copies of photo ID or a social security card.

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a prize claim form and deliver the form, along with your signed lottery ticket and government-issued photo ID and social security card to any of these locations:

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  • Asheville Regional Office & Claim Center: 16-G Regent Park Blvd., Asheville, NC 28806, 877-625-6886 press #1. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
  • Greensboro Regional Office & Claim Center: 20A Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407, 877-625-6886 press #2. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
  • Charlotte Regional Office & Claim Center: 5029-A West W. T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28269-1861, 877-625-6886 press #3. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
  • NC Lottery Headquarters: Raleigh Claim Center & Regional Office, 2728 Capital Blvd., Suite 144, Raleigh, NC 27604, 877-625-6886 press #4. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
  • Greenville Regional Office & Claim Center: 2790 Dickinson Avenue, Suite A, Greenville, NC 27834, 877-625-6886 press #5. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
  • Wilmington Regional Office & Claim Center: 123 North Cardinal Drive Extension, Suite 140, Wilmington, NC 28405, 877-625-6886 press #6. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://nclottery.com/.

When are the North Carolina Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
  • Pick 3, 4: 3:00 p.m. and 11:22 p.m. daily.
  • Cash 5: 11:22 p.m. daily.
  • Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Carolina Connect editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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‘Seeing is believing’: Local content creator expands tourism growth across WNC post-Helene

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‘Seeing is believing’: Local content creator expands tourism growth across WNC post-Helene


A budding collaboration between content creators and local tourism leaders is bringing more eyes and visitor traffic to western North Carolina.

Explore Asheville is crediting local content creators like Aisha Adams, a Mills River resident, for helping to expand the mountain region’s digital footprint and draw more tourists to lesser-known spots.

Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Authority said they are working with their partners to tell creative stories that get people out to discover the area. Adams said she does not ignore capturing spots on video of areas left with the remnants of Helene’s devastating floods.

GOV. JOSH STEIN URGES TRAVEL TO WESTERN NC AT TOURISM CONFERENCE

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“That’s just a part of our story now, and it adds that texture and culture,” Adams said. “Now we have this mix of art and resilience that I think is going to make the depth of our work and the depth of our community even more attractive.”

When businesses started reopening after Helene, Adams said she began road-tripping around western North Carolina, documenting her travels online.

One of her videos showing the Jackson County farmers’ market gained nearly 60,000 views. Adams said she never expected her Facebook to garner millions of views every month.

“It’s giving me a sense of community that I never thought I could have in a small town, sort of like Asheville, but connecting with people from all over the world,” Adams said.

Explore Asheville said tourism is showing continuous growth since the floods, including hotel revenue, which has increased by 20% in recent months.

Still, during the state’s annual Visit NC Tourism Conference in March, Governor Josh Stein said one challenge western North Carolina’s tourism industry faces is changing perception of those who still tie the area to images they had seen immediately after the hurricane.

VENUES ACROSS ASHEVILLE REPORT ROBUST VISITORS AMID LAGGING HOTEL OCCUPANCY NUMBERS

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Vic Isley, president and CEO of Explore Asheville, said, “Seeing is believing.”

Isley said content creators like Adams are showing both the rebounded and still-recovering areas of Helene, providing a more balanced perspective of places that define the mountain community.

“It’s just really important for people to see not only the shiny parts of Asheville, but the deep inner beauty of Asheville,” Isley said.

Adams, who founded her own media company, Aisha Adams Media, supporting small businesses and nonprofits in bringing profitable and conscious content to social media, said she believes more individuals are looking for authenticity from both online content and their travels.

“People are looking for resilience and healing, and I think that’s what we offer here,” Adams said.

Some of Adams’ recent partnerships with Explore Asheville include content for Black Wall Street AVL, which celebrates Black-owned businesses, along with other work for Martin Luther King Jr. Park located at the intersection of downtown and the East End/Valley Street neighborhood.

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ASHEVILLE KICKS OFF PEAK TOURISM SEASON WITH NEW FESTIVALS, LIVE MUSIC

Both Explore Asheville and Adams said they have been experimenting with artificial intelligence as a tool, not a replacement, for their online content.

Adams said she hopes to partner on some more professional projects with Explore Asheville in the future.



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NC Senate advances property tax reappraisal moratorium

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NC Senate advances property tax reappraisal moratorium


RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A state Senate bill that would delay property tax reappraisals for some North Carolina homeowners is moving forward at the General Assembly with a last-minute change.

Lawmakers gave initial approval Tuesday to the Property Tax Revaluation Moratorium Bill (SB 889), which would block counties that completed property reappraisals in 2026 from using those new values for the upcoming tax year. Instead, those counties would be required to use older property values this year before switching to the updated numbers in 2027.

The move is in response to sharp increases in property values across parts of the state, in some cases jumping by 50% to 60%, which could translate into higher tax bills for homeowners.

“We’ve seen an extensive increase in property values, in the double digits,” said state Sen. Steve Jarvis (R-Davidson County, Davie County).

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The moratorium would apply to a dozen counties, including Guilford, Buncombe and Pender, where reappraisals are already underway.

During debate Tuesday, state senators approved an amendment carving out an exemption for three smaller counties to allow them to move forward with their reappraisals as planned.

“This will impact only three counties, Clay, Chowan and Pamlico,” said State Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Transylvania counties). “These smaller counties face a relatively higher financial burden during the reappraisal process.”

The updated bill also includes new language clarifying the appeals process, ensuring property owners still have the ability to challenge their property values in both 2026 and 2027.

Senate leader Phil Berger says the goal of the bill is to give lawmakers time to address larger issues tied to rising property values.

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“In many instances, the folks that are getting hit the hardest are folks at the lower end of the income scale, especially folks that are on fixed income,” Berger said.

The bill has cleared initial Senate approval and now heads to a final vote, before potentially moving to the House. Berger also acknowledged the proposal’s future in the House is still unclear.

“I don’t know that they haven’t embraced it. We’ll see once it gets over there,” he said.



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