western North Carolina

Asheville was called a climate paradise. Helene shows that nowhere is safe

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Asheville was touted as a climate paradise, a place to escape the worst ravages of extreme weather. But Hurricane Helene’s deadly path of destruction reveals that this North Carolina city, like every other city in America, has never been safe. Memories are short and the scale of the climate crisis is consistently underestimated. “If you … Read more

The science behind how a Florida hurricane devastated North Carolina

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Asheville and surrounding towns in western North Carolina had just been drenched by a heavy rainstorm when the remnants of Hurricane Helene slammed into the Blue Ridge Mountains. What unfolded starting Wednesday evening and lasting throughout the weekend is a well-studied atmospheric phenomenon. “As the weather moves toward the mountains, the clouds have to rise … Read more