North Carolina
Why is NC seeing so much rain and flooding in July?
There has been a head-spinning amount of flooding this month, and not just in North Carolina.
It includes Texas, New Mexico, Illinois, New York, New Jersey and Missouri. The Texas floods were from the remnants of a tropical storm.
The flooding in central North Carolina was from Tropical Depression Chantal. In parts of Chapel Hill, there was more rain than we saw from Hurricane Fran in September 1996.
It doesn’t always take a tropical system to cause major flooding.
Earlier this week, New Jersey and New York saw one of the most intense storms in their histories. The flooding wreaked havoc on airports, subways, roads and more. The rain on the East Coast had nothing to do with a tropical storm.
Also, people don’t have to be in a floodplain to get bad damage. For example, 43% of repeatedly flooded North Carolina buildings are outside of designated FEMA flood zones.
WRAL News looked ot examine why we’re dealing with more dangerous rain events and why the state has had so much rain in July. Some areas of central North Carolina saw between 9 to 12 inches of rain, which is more than double some areas’ normal monthly rainfall.
Wet July: Storms leave behind damage in Sanford as residents grow concerned over torrential month
WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell explained what’s happening. She said there is a lack of sinking air to prevent storms. Fronts have stayed north and west, so central North Carolina has stayed hot and humid.
“We’re just stuck in this hot, humid, stormy pattern, so we’ve got a lot of energy in these storms and they’re able to dump some pretty intense rainfall,” Campbell said.
The Atlantic hurricane season tends to peak on Sept. 10. Activity in the tropics tends to ramp up in August, Campbell said.
August and September tend to report more flash flood reports than July in central North Carolina, Campbell said.
Anyone who doesn’t have flood insurance because they don’t live on a floodplain should know that the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s [FEMA] flood maps are outdated. They rely on 1970s data.
WRAL Climate Change reporter Liz McLaughlin has been digging into this and more.
“[The maps] really only take rivers and coastal flooding into account and really ignore small waterways that now overflow,” McLaughlin said. “And, it doesn’t take climate change into account, so people are really underestimating their risk.”
The trends over the past few decades have shown increasing intensity in rainfall.
Since 1970, rainfall intensity has increased by 21% in the Triangle. It means more rain in less time. It includes:
Rising temps: Warmer air holds about 4% more water vapor for every 1°F of warming, so downpours get heavier.
Record ocean temps: Oceans absorb 90% of global warming, super‑heating the fuel for systems like former Tropical Storm Chantal
The climate is changing – our maps and infrastructure may not be keeping pace – but North Carolina residents can.
There are still simple steps you can take right now, to make sure you’re prepared.
Contractors showed us what to look for around the house before a storm hits. WRAL has also highlighted weather tools and alerts you can sign up for to stay informed.
If the worst does happen, WRAL 5 On Your Side has extensive reporting on how you can respond.
WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell and WRAL climate change reporter Liz McLaughlin contributed to this story.
The North Carolina Tar Heels will be a young program across the board next season, with well over two dozen freshmen and numerous additions from the transfer portal this offseason. Expectations for the 2026 season are lowered dramatically after a disastrous first season for head coach Bill Belichick, though those expectations could help the Tar Heels fly under the radar.
As the Tar Heels approach the end of spring ball, it is time to look at the veterans of the team—the ones who have the experience to lead, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Let’s look at three underrated seniors for the 2026 football season.
Ade Willie, Cornerback
Willie joins the Tar Heels program after four years with Michigan State, as the former 4-star player in the 2022 recruiting class gets an opportunity to not only provide depth to the secondary, but potentially start Week 0 against TCU.
Willie played in over 30 games with the Spartans and brings experience in the secondary at cornerback and safety, along with quality length and closing speed to the football. For a defense that needs players to step up, the redshirt senior from IMG Academy will be asked to do so.
Isaiah Johnson, Defensive Lineman
The defensive line is beginning to look like one of the Tar Heels’ strengths for the 2026 season. Johnson, a former transfer from Arizona, enters his redshirt senior year looking to add another year of production after 40 tackles and two sacks this past season.
North Carolina has an impressive group of starters with Malkart Abou-Jaoude, Leroy Jackson, and incoming transfer Jaylen Harvey. Johnson adds value to the group as a run defender with the ability to penetrate the pocket. While not discussed as a key player, Johnson’s name will be used plenty during the regular season as a potential standout for the program’s defensive front.
Coleman Bryson, Safety
Bryson was a reserve player for the Tar Heels’ secondary last season as a big nickel defender in the rotation. Heading into his redshirt senior year, the former Minnesota Gopher is looking to become a full-time starter in the secondary.
It wasn’t long ago when Bryson was making plays as the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl Defensive MVP. His special teams abilities were valuable for North Carolina last season, and he flashed at times in coverage against tight ends, including a pass breakup in the season-opener against TCU. The Waynesville, North Carolina, native could be a key defender on the back-seven in 2026.
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Friends and family members gathered in Washington state on Saturday, remembering former Miss North Carolina Carrie Everett, who died on Easter Sunday. Another memorial service is planned in North Carolina next month.
Web Editor : Sydney Ross
Posted
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | First Quarter
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | Q1 8:19
After a faceoff win by Henry Metz, Brendan Millon finds Truitt Sunderland to give the Hoos a 3-0 lead. Timeout North Carolina.
Virginia 2, North Carolina 0 | Q1 9:00
Brendan Millon gets the scoring started for the Cavaliers with a question mark style goal. On the defensive end, Jake Marek opens the game with three early saves with his third save setting up a transition goal by Tommy Snyder.
Virginia vs North Carolina pregame notes
UVA owns a 59-33 advantage since the series began in 1938.
The 59 wins are UVA’s most against any opponent in program history (followed by 51 against Duke).
In Chapel Hill last year, the Tar Heels defeated the Cavaliers 18-9, snapping UVA’s six-game series win streak.
UVA has won nine of the last 11 meetings, dating back to 2018.
The Hoos have won the last two meetings with Carolina at Klöckner Stadium, 11-4 in 2022 and 14-6 in 2024.
The Tar Heels’ four goals in 2022 marked the fewest goals in a game under Joe Breschi, who was named UNC’s head coach in 2006.
The last time the Tar Heels knocked off the Cavaliers at Klöckner was a 16-13 decision during the first of three games between the two teams in 2021.
Later that year, UVA claimed back-to-back meetings against the Heels, including in the NCAA semifinals on the way to capturing the 2021 national title over Maryland.
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