Hurricane Helene's Deadly Secret: The Missing Landslide Maps | Ep. 575

What this episode covers

It's been more than a year and a half since Hurricane Helene decimated Western North Carolina, and we are still uncovering the factors that compounded this historic tragedy.Tonight on the Carolina Weather Group, James Brierton sits down with WCNC Charlotte investigative reporter Nate Morabito. Nate shares the findings of his recent investigation, revealing how missing landslide data could have saved lives if it had been more readily available. We dive deep into the state's landslide mapping program, which was frozen for eight years starting in 2011, leaving critical gaps in data across the mountains.**In tonight's episode, we discuss:*** The sheer scale of the disaster, which triggered at least 3,000 landslides.* The heartbreaking story of an Avery County man whose wife died in a landslide because their unmapped community had no idea they were at risk.* How a family looking to build in Chimney Rock used existing maps to consult a geologist, ultimately walking away from a property that was destroyed by Helene three years later.* Where you can go right now to check the North Carolina Landslide Mapping Program for susceptibility and debris flow pathways.We also cover:**Frank's Forecast:** Frank Strait tracks a cold front bringing a marginal risk of severe storms, isolated damaging winds, and heavy morning rain to the Carolinas on Thursday.**Record Heat to Hard Freeze:** After days of record-setting 90-degree heat in places like Fayetteville, Charlotte, and Beaufort, a much stronger cold front is slated to bring blustery winds and a hard freeze early next week.**Drought & Wildfire Danger:** A look at the extreme drought conditions fueling wildfires across the region, including recent fires in Gaston and Dare counties.**SC Severe Weather Preparedness Week:** Tips on finding your safe place during a tornado, plus historical tornado stats from the SC State Climatology Office.**NASCAR & Space:** Meteorologist Scottie Powell gives his forecast for the Las Vegas race, and we discuss how to spot a Friday morning Starlink rocket launch.**Too Many Tabs:** We check in on the I-40 Pigeon River Gorge concrete plant for Helene recovery, celebrate the SC State Library awards for the Climatology Office, and debut Frank's AI-generated weather alter ego.🌟 **A Special Thank You to Our Supporters!** 🌟The raw, unedited version of tonight's main interview with Nate Morabito was made available a day early exclusively to our Patreon and YouTube Member supporters. If you want early access to our deep-dive interviews and behind-the-scenes content, consider supporting the channel by joining our Patreon or becoming a YouTube Channel Member!#weather #northcarolina #southcarolina #ncwx #scwx #podcast📹 Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmhGiYbMDccQcdSjpf87nGg/join🧢 MERCH: https://carolinaweathergroup.qbstores.com/💸 LEAVE A TIP: https://streamelements.com/carolinawxgroup/tip🎙️ SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PODCAST: https://anchor.fm/carolinaweather🔔 SUPPORT US ON PATREON: https://patreon.com/carolinaweathergroup💻 VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://carolinaweathergroup.comThe Carolina Weather Group operates a weekly talk show of the same name. Broadcasting each week from the Carolinas, the show is dedicated to covering weather, science, technology, and more with newsmakers from the field of atmospheric science. With co-hosts across both North Carolina and South Carolina, the show may closely feature both NC weather and SC weather, but the topics are universally enjoyable for any weather fan. Join us as we talk about weather, the environment, the atmosphere, space travel, and all the technology that makes it possible.

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