Storm Stories of North Carolina

Inclement weather exposes our transportation options—and where we most need to go. In the case of Wilmington, NC, as winter storm Gianna hit, data showed residents used the Lyft ride-share app to meet some of their most critical emergency needs. In this episode, Shoresides talks with Sarah Conlisk of Lyft about the data and how snow in the Carolinas brought first-time riders, trips to grocery stor...

After a massive earthquake off Russia triggered a Pacific tsunami, questions arose closer to home: could it happen here? In this episode, Shoresides speaks with Stephen Pfaff, meteorologist-in-charge at the National Weather Service’s Wilmington office, about the science of tsunamis, the likelihood of one reaching Coastal North Carolina, and how preparedness efforts—from early warnings to public ed...

According to research conducted by Shoresides, the National Weather Service Office  in Wilmington, North Carolina, which played a pivotal role in predicting and tracking Hurricane Florence in 2018, may now be understaffed. In this episode of Storm Stories , we hear from the meteorologist at Joe Zambon about the 2025 hurricane season and the challenges of forecasting the next  N.C. storm under new...

This is the story of a beach storm no one saw coming—and the lessons we can’t afford to forget. In this episode of Storm Stories, Mayor Lynn Barbie of Carolina Beach helps us look back at the intense rainfall that hit Carolina Beach last year—a slow-motion disaster with no howling winds, no storm surge, just rising water and a community left to pick up the pieces. As the media focused on the devas...

After a hurricane upends everything, the void left behind—solastalgia—can be as destabilizing as the storm itself. In this episode of Storm Stories, we hear from Angie Bailey of North Carolina’s Broadband Infrastructure Office on efforts to bridge the digital divide, ensuring communities aren’t cut off when they need connectivity the most. And in Utica, Mississippi, Carlton Turner reflects on brin...

After Hurricane Helene, the damage wasn’t just physical—it left an invisible scar on the mental health of survivors. Environmental epidemiologist Dr. Jen Runkle joins Storm Stories to explore how disasters like Helene disrupt communities long after the floodwaters recede. She shares insights from her research on the psychological aftermath of hurricanes, particularly among young people and pregnan...

In 2018, Hurricane Florence devastated coastal North Carolina, leaving Yvonne Pittaway's home in Carteret County torn apart, and her missing it. After Hurricane Helene tore through North Carolina, residents faced more than just physical devastation, too—they grappled with the emotional aftermath. In this episode of Storm Stories, Brandon Romstadt of WNC Health Network shares how public health...

In this episode of Storm Stories, we explore the complexities of disaster giving, from the impact of misinformation to the critical need for long-term recovery efforts. Through expert insights Stephanie Watkins-Cruz  and of the North Carolina Housing Coalition and Tanya Gulliver-Garcia the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and we uncover the systemic challenges of funding rural and invisible disast...

In this Storm Stories episode, pulled from the Shoresides' archive, we revisit the resilience of Pender County, North Carolina, in the wake of Hurricane Florence—a story that resonates now, as flooding again affects communities across North Carolina. Disaster counselor Jennifer Witkowski shares how long-term recovery goes beyond immediate cleanup, demanding sustained volunteer efforts and dee...

Welcome to Storm Stories , a Shoresides original podcast, where we explore the human experiences and science behind hurricanes in North Carolina. Host Rend Smith speaks with Imhotep Dlanod, a musician displaced by Hurricane Katrina who is now facing the impacts of storms and flooding in Asheville. Alongside Imhotep's reflections on resilience and culture, meteorologist Joe Zambon from Fathom...

What can I do now to prepare for a future hurricane? This month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released an updated forecast of above-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic, predicting between 14 and 21 named storms. In the face of a hurricane, and other weather events, preparation is your best defense. Here's how you can ensure the safety and well-being of yourself an...

Want to vote early in coastal North Carolina? Here's how. ¿ Quieres votar temprano en la costa de Carolina del Norte? Escucha este anuncio.  Support the show

This is an important message from the New Hanover Disaster Coalition: There is free testing for COVID-19 in New Hanover County.  All you have to do is call  910-798-6800 to talk with a nurse to setup an appointment.  That is 910-798-6800 to set up a free COVID-19 test in New Hanover County.   Support the show

Illicit drug users face unique challenges during disasters like Hurricane Florence and COVID-19. What happens when dealers leave town or shelter-in-place? How do overdose rates change? Find out on this week's episode of Storm Stories. Support the show

When people living with HIV in coastal North Carolina talk about how they prepared for Hurricane Florence, their considerations are about the same as the average person - with exceptions. HIV-positive community members have to think about their medications - how they'll get them and where they'll store them. They have to think about access to healthcare, and whether they feel comfortable...

In this episode, we explore how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting people who are still in recovery from Hurricane Florence. We also talk about how our experience with hurricanes in coastal North Carolina has prepared us to deal with the impacts of COVID-19 - and how it hasn't. Storm Stories is a collection of stories about the effects of hurricanes. This podcast and radio series explores...

For the second episode of Storm Stories, we're diving deep into the transactional sex industry during and after hurricanes. How does the market for transactional sex change when natural disasters hit, and how do sex workers deal with these changes? We talk to Katie, who tells us about the days leading up to and following Hurricane Florence, and Rebecca, executive director of the nonprofit Fiv...

We kick off Season 2 of Storm Stories with stories about the struggle for affordable housing in the year and a half since Hurricane Florence. In this episode, two women tell us about losing their homes and communities and what they're doing about it. Support the show

In this short special, grassroots journalist and activist Yndiana Montes discusses how our water sources are impacted by discharge from the hog and poultry industries after storms. Montes uses audio clips from meetings with the Cape Fear River watch to support what she sees happening in her community.  Support the show

Storm Stories podcast asked folks to call in messages of support to their neighbors and the response so far has been overwhelming - over 45 calls across 7 counties. Take a listen, and consider sharing your own message of encouragement by calling 910-604-6519. We will keep adding to and sharing these messages! #ilmstrong #dorian #hurricanedorian Support the show

During a disaster, whether to evacuate or stay is probably the most critical decision you can make. What goes into it? For Chris Depompeis the answer is complicated. Storm Stories is a collection of stories from Hurricane Florence. This podcast  and radio series explores resilience and recovery in the coastal region through local stories. Learn more at www.workingnarratives.org Support the show

When Hurricane Florence struck, the city of Wilmington got plenty of attention from media outlets and government agencies. But few had the ability to do what community activist Cedric Harrison did, which was to witness all the ways poverty and disaster intersect.  Storm Stories is a collection of stories from Hurricane Florence. This podcast  and radio series explores resilience and recovery in th...

As climate change pushes ocean temperatures higher, the damage from hurricanes will increase. There’s the government response to these history-making disasters, and then there’s the response of people like trauma specialist Franchon Francees.  Storm Stories is a collection of stories from Hurricane Florence. This podcast  and radio series explores resilience and recovery in the coastal region thro...

Gloria Walters is one of a growing number of people adapting to the new realities of climate change displacement. Hit by Hurricanes Matthew and Florence, her hometown of Fair Bluff North Carolina lost half its population and is considered a ghost town now. What’s it like to be hurricane refugee? Storm Stories is a collection of stories from Hurricane Florence. This podcast  and radio series explor...

Every disaster has its evacuees, people who do just as they’re told and leave once the government sounds the alarm. But what happens when they have nothing to return to? Gerry Lenahan tells us what it’s like to lose everything and what it’s like to rebuild.  Storm Stories is a collection of stories from Hurricane Florence. This podcast  and radio series explores resilience and recovery in the coas...