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'Thankful': 2 months after Helene, Western North Carolina survivors move into temporary housing

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'Thankful': 2 months after Helene, Western North Carolina survivors move into temporary housing


OLD FORT, N.C. (WTVD) — With the keys to her new home in hand, Kelli Hart has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. She and her husband Tom, who is a disabled Vietnam veteran just moved in.

“These are the keys to my happy place,” said Hart. “I’m just trying to unpack some boxes, get the table ready and festive, so I can get in the mood to cook a big old turkey and dressing and all the good stuff he likes.”

Eyewitness News got a tour of the two-bedroom RV that the Harts will call home. They have spent the past two months living in churches, hotels and even their car.

“You really start appreciating those things when you’re living in a car and have to go to the bathroom,” she said.

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Helene survivors getting temporary housing at RV Park

The couple lived in North Cove, North Carolina when Hurricane Helene caused the nearby creek to rise over its banks. The fire marshall came knocking at her door.

“He said it’s time to go now. I said what? He said that creek is a river and unless you want to be part of it, you better grab him and let go. We left with just the clothes on our back,” Hart said.

The couple lost everything, including their cat Ally. They had no flood insurance and neither did Johnny Bass and his wife.

“You don’t buy flood insurance in the mountains. Know what I mean,” Bass exclaimed. “The house is still standing, but the water went three and a half feet deep completely through it all.”

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The Bass is just a few doors down from the Harts at Old Fort RV Park, a temporary housing community for Helene survivors provided by FEMA.

According to FEMA, 33 families have temporary homes to call their own in Western North Carolina as of Thanksgiving and nearly 500 families have been approved for housing. FEMA is paying hotel costs for almost 12,000 survivors in the state. The federal agency has already paid more than $ 940,000 to help survivors with their rent.

The data was released as Hurricane Helene brought mass destruction to North Carolina, with many people losing their homes, businesses and lives. The federal government was accused of not responding to hard hit areas and it became political in the weeks leading up to the presidential election.

SEE ALSO | Christmas tree industry in North Carolina impacted by Hurricane Helene destruction in WNC

“I’m a devout Republican and it doesn’t matter. I’m out here shoulder to shoulder with devout Democrats,” said John Safar, developer and owner of the RV park.

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He is allowing FEMA to support survivors with temporary housing for up to 18 months. The park is large enough for 50 mobile homes.

“Everybody is out here together trying to make this thing happen as quickly as possible to get these people into a nice safe environment. That’s all it’s about,” he said.

It’s that spirit that survivors in this community are embracing as they prepare for their first Thanksgiving in their new homes.

“I have my be thankful plates because we are very thankful,” said Hart.

Helene survivor thankful for temporary housing, first Thanksgiving since the storm

Helene survivor thankful for temporary housing, first Thanksgiving since the storm

SEE ALSO | 1 month after Helene, hard work continues in Western North Carolina

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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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