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Former Insurance Adjuster

Over $500,000,000 in Car Accident Settlements!

Car Accident Injury Attorneys in Washington, NC

Car accidents in North Carolina happen suddenly, often catching the safest and most prepared drivers off guard. In the blink of an eye, a routine trip home from work on the busiest interstate highway near Washington, NC, can turn into a life-changing situation. Before you know it, you’re seriously hurt and wondering how you’ll provide for your family.

Dealing with the aftermath of a car crash is a lot to handle, especially when you’re injured due to no fault of your own. Figuring out who will foot the bill for your medical expenses and monthly bills only adds to the stress. You’re left trying to answer questions like, “What happens next, now that I’m injured?” “Am I going to get fired because I can’t go to work?” “How will I pay for my hospital bills?”

Often, auto accident victims can’t handle their responsibilities when they’re hurt or recovering in the largest hospital in Washington, NC. Without a personal injury attorney in Washington, NC, to advocate on their behalf, these same victims give official statements to law enforcement and insurance companies by mistake. As a result, many men and women hurt in car crashes accept very low settlement offers without understanding that they deserve more.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car wreck due to someone else’s negligence, you're probably wondering if there's a legal way to ease your suffering. At Nagle & Associates, our car accident attorneys in North Carolina can review the facts of your case, engage your insurance company, and help get the ball rolling on your personal injury claim so you can begin to heal and get back to a normal life.

Injury-Attorney
Auto Accident and Insurance

Nagle & Associates: The Authority on North Carolina Auto Accident and Insurance Law

Trying to find the top personal injury attorney in Washington, NC, might seem difficult on the surface, but when you learn that Nage & Associates only handles serious motor vehicle accidents, the choice is easy. With more than two decades of experience only handling North Carolina motor vehicle accident cases, we’ve successfully recovered over $500 million in compensation for our clients.

Our firm is highly focused, with a proven track record in traumatic medicine, insurance regulations, and personal injury lawsuits. Founding attorney Carl Nagle is a former insurance claims adjuster and former insurance company lawyer. He knows exactly how to confront the insurance adjusters who are working now to oppose your claims. We also have two retired North Carolina State Troopers and four licensed NC auto insurance adjusters on staff. Our team stands ready to represent you and helping car accident victims is all we do.

We excel in employing top crash reconstruction experts, working with police to investigate collisions, preserving crucial evidence to establish fault and legal responsibility, and effectively presenting medical evidence to maximize settlements and trial outcomes. Additionally, we are skilled in managing settlements, minimizing external claims on settlement funds, and ensuring the highest tax-free payments for our clients at the conclusion of each case. Like the most popular monument in Washington, NC, we stand tall for our clients when they’re at their lowest.

We refuse to handle all other types of legal matters because we focus exclusively on cases involving the following:

  • Uninsured Motorist Accidents
  • Unsafe Lane Change Accidents
  • Uber and Lyft Accidents
  • Door Dash Accidents
  • Rollover Accidents
  • Distracted Driving Accidents
  • Work Zone Accidents
  • Fatal Car Accidents
  • Wrongful Death Accidents
  • Uninsured Motorist Accidents
  • Unsafe Lane Change Accidents
  • Uber and Lyft Accidents
  • Door Dash Accidents
  • Rollover Accidents
  • Distracted Driving Accidents
  • Work Zone Accidents
  • Fatal Car Accidents
  • Wrongful Death Accidents
Auto Accident and Random

At Nagle & Associates, we aim to be THE authority on auto accidents and insurance law in North Carolina. We know how to respond to the aftermath of a serious accident and how to approach insurance companies to command their respect. When you choose our law firm, you can rest easy knowing we will collect the highest payment possible for our clients in every case we oversee.

Your Car Accident Injury Attorneys in Washington, NC: The Nagle & Associates Difference

What makes Nagle & Associates stand out from the crowd? As your personal injury lawyer, we’re passionate about providing the highest level of support when you’re facing some of the most difficult times in your life. We will help solve your problems, and our entire staff truly cares about your financial concerns and your medical recovery. We will work tirelessly to protect and enforce your rights.

Clients recommend our personal injury lawyers to their friends and family members because we provide:

Most law firms in North Carolina accept a wide range of cases. Many handle divorce, tax and business law, criminal defense law, and bankruptcy along with personal injury cases. Firms that “only” handle personal injury law typically handle vehicle injury cases along with slip and fall, premises liability, dog bites, workers compensation and many different types of injury cases.

They don’t focus purely on motor vehicle crash law. Our firm ONLY handles personal injury claims resulting from serious motor vehicle accidents. We are masters of the law in this arena and are prepared to protect your rights, establish fault, identify all at-fault parties, access all available insurance policies/coverage, and secure the maximum tax-free payment on all of your injury claims.

We only handle cases involving genuine injuries resulting from serious accidents. We’re not talking about a fender bender in the parking lot of highest rated fine dining restaurant in Washington, NC. Our focus on high-value cases enables us to offer a reduced legal fee for settlements and trial verdicts. Nearly all other personal injury attorneys charge 1/3 of the settlement. If we take on your case, our fee is 1/4 of the settlement. With our more equitable fee, your share of the settlement is 75%, which is significantly more than the 66% portion that most firms allow.

Most personal injury law firms tack on additional expenses to their 1/3 legal fee. Those fees can include expenses such as postage, copy costs, administrative fees, and charges to outside vendors to collect medical bills and records. Our reduced 1/4 fee includes all case administration expenses.

Our attorney fees for cases that involve court proceedings are lower compared to what other personal injury lawyers charge. If the insurance company does not offer you fair payment, we will take legal action against all parties responsible and bring your case to trial. Other personal injury lawyers will take 40-44% of your injury claim money if a lawsuit is necessary. However, our fee for litigation is 1/3, which means that a larger portion of your personal injury compensation stays with you at the conclusion of your case.

Carl Nagle’s extensive experience in both plaintiff and defense roles makes him a truly exceptional personal injury attorney in Washington, NC. He and his legal team now work only for individuals injured in vehicle accidents in North Carolina. Prior to focusing exclusively on representing crash victims, Carl Nagle spent several years working as an insurance claims adjuster in Atlanta. After graduating with top honors from the University of Georgia School of Law, Carl served as an insurance defense attorney. His firsthand experience in representing at-fault drivers and insurance companies enables him to predict and counter insurance defense tactics, and he knows how to push insurance companies to offer generous settlements in all cases.

We have seven offices spread across North Carolina, so there's likely one very close to you. However, if you’re reluctant to drive on the busiest interstate highway near Washington, NC, or live in a remote area that makes travel inconvenient, we won't charge anything to meet with you at your home. Most things can be sorted out over the phone or by mail. Additionally, most cases are settled and result in payment with no court involvement, and this process can be managed without you having to leave your home. If your case needs to go to trial before a jury, we'll do this in your home county.

Associates Difference
Associates Difference

What Our Clients Say

Do You Really Need a Car Accident Injury Attorneys in Washington, NC?

You aren't obligated to hire a lawyer to settle an accident claim. However, having a lawyer represent you in negotiations with the insurance company likely will result in a larger settlement. According to a report by the Insurance Research Council, 85% of the funds disbursed for bodily injury claims went to individuals who had retained legal counsel.

Former adjuster Carl Nagle offers this warning – “Insurance adjusters work only for the insurance company, and their goal is to minimize payment in every case. They are cost-control experts and they have no legal obligation to tell you what they truly owe. Whenever possible, they will deny valid claims and pay people less than they deserve”.

NC crash victims with serious injuries legally have nothing more than a “cause of action”, which means a right to sue the at-fault driver. Insurance companies know that victims who handle their cases without a lawyer present do not intend to sue, and likely also have no idea what their case is worth. Unrepresented victims are offered less than they deserve, and many settle for pennies on the dollar.

If you hire an attorney, you pay nothing up front and your lawyer beings working for you immediately. We handle all insurance company communications, ensuring that a skilled adjuster cannot misquote you or trick you into forfeiting your rights. We handle crash investigations and the task of gathering all of your medical bills, medical records, lost wage evidence and other case proofs. This is homework you will have to handle if you don’t have legal representation. We assemble the case and highlight the medical evidence which adds value to your settlement We then threaten to file a lawsuit on your behalf, and apply legal and financial leverage to push for the highest settlement offer. After settlement, we negotiate discounts on unpaid medical bills and on health insurance claims against your settlement money. All of these efforts protect your rights and result in the highest possible tax-free settlement payment landing in your pocket. And your attorney is paid only if and when we deliver money to you.

You Really Need

Victims of careless commercial drivers who have high-limits insurance policies and victims who suffer more severe injuries are targeted by insurance companies. Sadly, the more extensive your medical expenses and other losses resulting from a car accident, the greater the likelihood that the other motorist’s insurance company will contest your claim. Victims in high-damage cases should always involve an attorney to build and present their personal injury case.

Insurance companies prioritize safeguarding their profits over fair treatment of crash victims. Attempting to navigate negotiations with insurance adjusters and company lawyers on your own puts you at a disadvantage, as insurance companies have vast experience minimizing claim payments and extensive legal teams helping them oppose your case. Hiring personal injury representation is also a wise idea when you’re trying to deal with one or more of the following situations:

At-Fault Drivers

At-Fault Drivers Who Are Underinsured or Uninsured

Some motorists responsible for accidents don’t have liability insurance or have only bought the lowest amount of insurance mandated by law. If you were involved in an accident caused by a driver without adequate insurance, a lawyer can assist in filing a claim with your own insurance coverage to compensate for the difference. We can often identify several policies that can be stacked together to vastly increase the pool of money available to pay your claims.

Severe Injuries

Severe Injuries

Complex injuries can necessitate costly medical treatment and long-term disability assistance. Without the guidance of a seasoned personal injury attorney, you may not be able to afford continuing care and upcoming medical expenses. Also, severe injuries often result in lasting or permanent symptoms and medical needs. Injury lawyers know how to retain VocReha experts and medical experts to develop the evidence which allows us to collect for future lost wages, future medical needs, and future pain and suffering.

Property Damage

Property Damage

A personal injury lawyer can help you recover compensation for the damage caused to your vehicle, and arrange for an independent assessment to determine repair costs. When a client retains us to handle their injury claims, we handle all property damage claims for free. We never charge to help with vehicle repairs, total loss claims or help securing a rental car.

Contributory Fault Rules

Contributory Fault Rules

In North Carolina, we have the “pure contributory negligence” law. In this state, if a crash victim contributes slightly to causing their accident or injuries, they have no right to present ANY claims. If you are just 1% at fault, you get nothing for your car damage or injury claims. Insurance companies always try to place blame on victims injured in car accidents. By hiring a lawyer early, we make sure you never make a statement that kills your case. We also investigate the crash early and gather evidence proving all other drivers’ fault, and proving that you were innocent and could not avoid the collision.

Wrongful Death

Wrongful Death

Losing a family member in a car accident is horrible, but it’s even more tragic when they perish due to someone else’s negligence. Surviving family members have a right to claim wrongful death benefits, but insurance companies will not simply volunteer fair payment. While you grieve the loss of your loved one, your wrongful death attorney can build the strongest case to help you secure justice and cover financial losses related to the death of your family member.

Call a Car Accident Injury Attorneys in Washington, NC, if You're in One of These Car Accidents

A traffic collision, also referred to as a car accident, happens when a vehicle crashes into another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other obstructions. Vehicle collisions can lead to different levels of vehicle damage, injuries to people inside, and, in some cases, even death. Annual reports from the past few years have indicated a consistent rise in vehicle accidents, injuries, and fatalities in North Carolina. The state recorded over 273,000 car crashes in 2022, leading to in excess of 110,000 injuries.

If you’re in one of the following types of car crashes, you should contact an auto accident lawyer ASAP:

Head-On Collisions

Head-On Collisions

A head-on collision happens when two vehicles’ front ends collide. This type of accident often results in very serious injuries and, sometimes, fatalities.

Rear-End Collisions

Rear-End Collisions

A rear-end collision happens when the front of one automobile crashes into the back of another vehicle. This type of collision happens most often when a driver fails to pay attention or is tailgating another driver.

Sideswipe Accidents

Sideswipe Accidents

When two vehicles are moving parallel to one another and make contact – usually due to an improper lane change – a sideswipe collision happens.

T-Bone Collision

T-Bone Collision

In a side-impact collision, one automobile crashes into the side of another, creating a “T” shape. These car wrecks are known to happen at intersections and typically produce serious injuries.

Multi-Car Pileup

Multi-Car Pileup

These auto wrecks are also known as chain reaction collisions and happen when three or more automobiles collide in a series of collisions. Multi-car pileups are known to happen in dense traffic and on large roadways like the busiest interstate highway near Washington, NC.

Rollovers

Rollovers

When a vehicle turns over on its side or on its roof, a rollover accident occurs, which can have catastrophic consequences for the driver and also for other motorists.

Regardless of the type of car accident you’re involved in, you should know that North Carolina adheres to a fault-based system for wrecks. That means the driver found responsible for causing the wreck is usually accountable for the resulting damages. However, it’s important to note that North Carolina also follows the pure contributory negligence rule. This means that if a plaintiff is found even partially at fault for the accident, they might be unable to collect payment for their property damage and injury claims.

While insurance companies should provide a lump sum to cover all accident-related expenses, in many cases, the amount they are willing to offer is typically unfair and insufficient without help from an experienced auto accident lawyer like Carl Nagle.

Follow These Steps After an Auto Accident in North Carolina

Whether you’re driving near the the biggest university or college near Washington, NC or taking a short ride to the store, a car crash can happen in a split second. When it does, it can leave you confused and disoriented. However, taking quick action after an accident can help preserve your rights if you’re injured. Keep these steps in mind if you’re ever involved in a car wreck in North Carolina:

  • Swap insurance info with other drivers involved in the accident.
  • Get treated by a doctor to diagnose injuries caused by the auto accident.
  • If you’re given a treatment plan by your doctor, be sure to follow the recovery instructions.
  • If you undergo treatment or rehab for your injuries, use your health insurance to fund all medical care. This protects your credit and will increase case value.
  • Get a copy of the police report for your auto accident.
  • Save any invoices, bills, and receipts relating to medical costs you have to pay to treat yourself or to repair property damage.
  • If you’re injured in a car accident and have to take time off of work, have a doctor provide a work disability note to show that you are missing work for medical reasons. Also, try to get copies of your pay stubs that reflect your pay prior to your accident.
  • Reach out to a personal injury lawyer as soon as you’re able to do so. Even if you chose not to hire a lawyer, a consultation with a personal injury lawyer is free and can typically be accomplished with a phone call. Learn your rights before you start cooperating with the insurance adjuster who is being paid to oppose your claims.
Follow These Steps

If someone's actions or lack of action caused you harm while driving, you may have a valid personal injury claim. There are many types of physical and emotional injuries that fall into different categories. At Nagle & Associates, P.A., we’ll work with you one-on-one to gather evidence that can prove your case and help you receive the compensation you deserve. Whether you were in a collision involving a drunk driver, hit while walking to work, or sustained injuries in a motorcycle accident, our goal is to help you collect the full amount of compensation that the law allows.

Call Your Car Accident Injury Attorneys in Washington, NC, for a Free Consultation

At Nagle & Associates, we're proud to provide clients with the highest level of support when they are facing some of the most difficult challenges imaginable. We pledge to provide them with reliable legal representation and treat them with respect, compassion, and empathy. If you’re suffering from the results of a major auto accident in North Carolina, know that we’re here to help in any way that we’re able.

Our team of car accident lawyers will work tirelessly to help you confront and solve your most immediate problems, to build the strongest personal injury case on your behalf, and to collect the highest amount of compensation through settlement or trial. When you or your family’s health and financial security are on the line, don’t settle for less – choose Nagle & Associates, P.A., today.

Case Review

Latest News in Washington, NC

North Carolina floods threaten mines key to global electronics industry

Eva Douhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/10/01/flooding-north-carolina-sand-quartz-electronics-supply-chain/

Flooding in North Carolina has imperiled the operations of mines that produce the world’s purest quartz sand — an irreplaceable ingredient for manufacturing components at the heart of smartphones and other electronic devices.The town of Spruce Pine, where these unique mines are located, remains in a dire situation, with power, water and cell service largely disconnected early Tuesday. While the ...

Flooding in North Carolina has imperiled the operations of mines that produce the world’s purest quartz sand — an irreplaceable ingredient for manufacturing components at the heart of smartphones and other electronic devices.

The town of Spruce Pine, where these unique mines are located, remains in a dire situation, with power, water and cell service largely disconnected early Tuesday. While the floodwaters brought on by Helene have receded, local residents said many roads remained impassable. Some people were still trying desperately to confirm loved ones were safe.

The calamity has devastated this small town of about 2,200 along the North Toe River but is also expected to affect people around the world. The high-purity quartz from Spruce Pine’s mines is key for the production of semiconductors — the brains inside computing devices — as well as solar panels, fiber-optic cables and other industrial products.

“I don’t think the nation really realizes how this little, small town is so critical,” said Michael Vance, a local real estate developer who has been informally coordinating some relief efforts for Spruce Pine.

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Both major mine operators in Spruce Pine, Sibelco and the Quartz Corp., said they halted operations Thursday, the day before the center of the storm passed over western North Carolina, and did not yet know when work could resume. The companies said their immediate focus was ensuring employees were safe and contacting those who are still unreachable.

“Many people in the area, including our employees and their families, are facing displacement and significant disruption,” said Sibelco, a Belgian company. “We have confirmed the safety of most employees and are working diligently to contact those still unreachable due to ongoing power outages and communication challenges.”

Neither Sibelco nor the Quartz Corp. confirmed Monday whether their facilities were damaged or what kind of longer-term impact there may be to their output. The Quartz Corp. said that it had “no visibility” on when operations would restart and that some of its employees had joined local task forces to help restore basic services to the area.

“We are in a phase of assessing the situation and it is far too early to comment on the impact to high-purity quartz production,” said May Kristin Haugen, head of communications for the Quartz Corp., which is jointly owned by French and Norwegian companies. “Our priority now is people and the families being affected by this terrible storm.”

Dan Hutcheson, a veteran semiconductor industry analyst, said that while the mines will probably bounce back in time, consumers can expect to see higher prices for electronics in coming months. Manufacturers could temporarily shift to other sources for quartz, but that would introduce extra refining expenses.

Vance said Spruce Pine was still in a state of emergency on Monday. Residents had been told it would take at least three weeks for power to return, and more than a month for water.

“They are in desperate need of food and water,” he said. “They are still trying to find people. We just don’t know where some people are.”

Some mine employees were counted among the missing on Monday. One post in a Facebook group said that two groups of Sibelco workers had set out Friday from Red Hill, a short distance from Spruce Pine, to clear trees and debris from the roadways. The post said that while most of the 26 workers had since been confirmed safe, some remained unaccounted for.

The resiliency of the semiconductor supply chain has become a focus in Washington in recent years amid growing geopolitical tensions with China. In addition to powering consumer devices, chips are also the brains inside smart missiles and any other advanced military weapons.

U.S. officials have warned that the island of Taiwan is a bottleneck in the semiconductor supply chain and have pushed for the reshoring of chip manufacturing in the United States to avoid being overly reliant on East Asia for the critical components.

But the North Carolina floods reflect that natural disasters at home can also disrupt industries crucial for national security.

Hutcheson, the semiconductor analyst, said the chip supply chain has generally been able to absorb the shock of natural disasters, such as the Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011, without major shortages occurring. Manufacturers have some stockpiles in warehouses that they can draw on, he said, though disruptions can lead to elevated prices.

“It typically works its way out, and if you look at it on a year-over-year basis, you won’t see the impact,” he said of previous major natural disasters affecting the supply chain.

A fire in 2008 in Spruce Pine temporarily disrupted the global quartz supply.

According to Sibelco, the Spruce Pine quartz deposits were formed some 380 million years ago when the land masses that are now Africa and North America collided. A lack of water at the point of collision resulted in the unusual purity of the quartz in the area.

The minerals from Spruce Pine were already being used in electronics back in Thomas Edison’s era. More recently, the high-purity quartz is used to make crucibles, the containers used to melt down silicon to make silicon wafers for semiconductors.

Sharon McIntosh, a Spruce Pine resident, drove to Tennessee on Monday to purchase water and other supplies, and to find a cell signal to contact loved ones. She said that while the impact on the mines remained unclear, more visible infrastructure such as streets and the railroad had been washed out.

“The railroad won’t be coming through there for many months,” she said. “The downtown business district is destroyed. I don’t think it will recover from that.”

Conditions for N.C.’s historic deluge began more than 30 hours before Helene arrived

Dan Stillmanhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/10/01/three-reasons-why-western-north-carolina-flood-was-so-extreme/

Updated October 2, 2024 at 10:09 a.m. EDT|Published October 1, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. EDTHurricane Helene, fueled by converging weather and climate ingredients, hammered the mountains of North Carolina in recent days with staggering amounts of rain and catastrophic flooding. In one of the worst natural disasters the region has ever seen, more than 20 to 30 inches of rain fell in less than three days, washing homes and roads away and virtually destroying entire towns while cutting large areas off from power and communications.Floodin...

Updated October 2, 2024 at 10:09 a.m. EDT|Published October 1, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. EDT

Hurricane Helene, fueled by converging weather and climate ingredients, hammered the mountains of North Carolina in recent days with staggering amounts of rain and catastrophic flooding. In one of the worst natural disasters the region has ever seen, more than 20 to 30 inches of rain fell in less than three days, washing homes and roads away and virtually destroying entire towns while cutting large areas off from power and communications.

Flooding from tropical systems is common in mountainous regions, even those as far inland as western North Carolina. But in this case, the devastating drenching was exacerbated primarily by three factors: 1) heavy rain that fell even before Helene made landfall; 2) the region’s steep terrain, which amplified the flood risk; and 3) record-setting levels of atmospheric moisture boosted by human-caused climate change.

The result was a rainfall event that should happen only once every 200 to 1,000 years and what appears to be the most rain ever recorded in the Appalachians from a tropical system.

The historic deluge began in western North Carolina on Wednesday afternoon into evening, more than 30 hours before the core of Helene came through, because of what’s known as a “predecessor rain event.” That is when moisture streaming hundreds of miles out ahead of the storm interacts with a dip in the jet stream to generate an initial round of heavy rain.

The storm itself doesn’t always pass over the same area as the predecessor event, but when it does, it can be disastrous.

“The really bad scenario is where … the tropical cyclone passes over that same area a day or two later,” said Russ Schumacher, a professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University. “The most impacts come from situations like this.”

After 8 to 12 inches of predecessor rainfall, the core of Helene plowed through the same region with a second round of torrential rain, on Friday, in areas where soils were already saturated and waterways swollen. That pushed rain totals as high as 20 to 30 inches — as much rain as would typically fall in three to five Septembers.

Some of the most devastating hurricane floods have occurred in the mountains, including flooding in Vermont from Hurricane Irene in 2011 and in Virginia from Hurricane Camille in 1969.

Western North Carolina, and specifically the Asheville area, is no stranger to tropical flooding, either. The remnants of two tropical systems combined for deadly flooding and mass destruction in 1916, while 2004 brought big floods from Hurricanes Frances and Ivan.

Mountains are particularly prone to severe flash flooding because of enhanced rainfall from upslope winds and water flowing down the steep terrain faster than on flatter land. As Helene approached from the south, the counterclockwise flow of wind around the storm’s low-pressure center resulted in persistent and increasingly strong winds from the southeast over western North Carolina.

“The southeast-facing slopes — those facing into the humid, low-level winds of Helene — forced that air to abruptly rise, cool to condensation, causing torrential rainout over the same locations,” said Jeff Halverson, a professor of meteorology at the University of Maryland at Baltimore County.

All of that water then concentrated into rapidly flowing, convergent streams, running off so fast that it could not be absorbed by soils. “What results is a powerfully erosive, overland flow of water, soil, rock, vegetation and man-made structures — the features of flash floods, mudflows and debris flows,” Halverson said.

Some areas witnessed violent landslides and floodwaters that rose many feet in an hour’s time. Vast volumes of water and debris ultimately landed in downstream rivers. Several — such as the French Broad River and Swannanoa River in Asheville — crested at their highest levels on record, surpassing marks that had stood for more than a century.

Rainfall associated with Helene amounted to 20 trillion gallons across North Carolina. The amount of moisture transported by Helene from the Gulf of Mexico into the region was more than 1.5 times the previous record and three times the amount of moisture moved by the most extreme atmospheric rivers — or jets of heavy precipitation — that frequently bombard the West Coast during winter.

My analysis reveals that #Helene's integrated vapor transport (IVT) into western North Carolina (~3000 kg/m/s) was over 1.5 times the previous record (~1883 kg/m/s).IVT assesses the strength of atmospheric rivers.The magnitude is unprecedented for the region based on records. https://t.co/SWO6a49T64 pic.twitter.com/CPS7k1YUM5

— Ben Noll (@BenNollWeather) September 29, 2024

Unusually warm ocean waters linked to human-caused climate change contributed to the extreme moisture levels. Tropical systems gain strength and capacity to transport moisture from warm upper ocean waters. Research has shown that storms occurring later in the season, like Helene, have a better chance of intensifying because, by then, warmer waters penetrate deeper into the ocean.

Helene developed and intensified over Gulf of Mexico waters experiencing a marine heat wave that warmed sea-surface temperatures as much as 3.5 to 4.5 degrees above average, while the upper layer of the ocean ranked as the second-warmest in more than 65 years of tracking.

One analysis published this week found human-caused climate change increased Helene’s rainfall by 50 percent; a second found the increase was around 20 percent.

Jason Samenow, Janice Kai Chen, Tim Meko and Laris Karklis contributed to this report.

correction

A caption in a previous version of this article incorrectly identified Highway 221 as Highway 22. The caption has been corrected.

How to help Asheville recover from Hurricane Helene

Hannah Sampsonhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2024/09/30/asheville-hurricane-recovery-airlines-hotels-reservations/

By The WayWhat to know about donating, volunteering and altering travel plans as Asheville organizes hurricane relief.10 minUpdated October 1, 2024 at 10:14 a.m. EDT|Published September 30, 2024 at 4:19 p.m. EDTThrough the windows of the Market Place Restaurant in downtown Asheville, N.C., chef and owner William Disse...

By The Way

What to know about donating, volunteering and altering travel plans as Asheville organizes hurricane relief.

10 min

Updated October 1, 2024 at 10:14 a.m. EDT|Published September 30, 2024 at 4:19 p.m. EDT

Through the windows of the Market Place Restaurant in downtown Asheville, N.C., chef and owner William Dissen has only a partial view of the disaster left in Hurricane Helene’s wake.

There’s debris everywhere, Dissen said Monday, evidence of the “biblical flooding” that overtook Western North Carolina this weekend. The restaurant on Asheville’s historic Wall Street is without water but miraculously has power and WiFi, two luxuries allowing him to piece together what happened.

Hurricane Helene struck the Big Bend region of Florida as a Category 4 storm, becoming one of the largest storm systems ever to hit the Gulf Coast. Yet most of Helene’s devastation was wrought as the storm moved inland through the Carolinas and into Tennessee.

The latest: More than 100 deaths have been reported across six states, with North Carolina accounting for the most lives lost. The mountainous western portions of the state were hit the hardest, and many roads remain closed as residents struggle to access water and power. See photos of the storm’s destruction across North Carolina.

Helene’s impact: Many regions in Florida saw their worst storm surge ever as Helene made landfall. It’s estimated the storm caused up to $26 billion in property damage, and many homeowners may face major hurdles with insurance and rebuilding.

In decades, their home never flooded. Then in a flash, they were homeless.

Brady Dennishttps://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/09/29/helene-asheville-flooding-swannanoa/

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extreme weatherWeatherClimateCapital Weather GangEnvironmentClimate LabHurricanes

Theirs was only one tale of narrow escape, and of an unimaginable loss, that has begun to trickle out from the small communities that line the hills and valleys in and around North Carolina.

4 min

September 29, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. EDT

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — For nearly four decades, Beverly and Baxter Eller lived in the same modest home in Swannanoa, not far from here.

Family pictures hung on the walls. Sea shells collected from decades of trips sat in a glass bowl. Near their front porch on North Avenue, the Swannanoa River lazily wound its way past most days and the rolling ridges of the Blue Ridge rose gently above.

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Drone video shows collapsed bridge, road in N.C.

Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/video/climate-environment/drone-video-shows-collapsed-bridge-road-in-nc/2024/09/28/bde91380-ce5c-4690-b4b9-8050fde0e5b8_video.html

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(Julia Wall/The Washington Post)

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Climate

September 28, 2024 | 3:14 PM PDT

Video filmed on Sept. 28 shows a collapsed road and bridge along Highway 221 in Woodlawn and North Cove, N.C., after flooding from Hurricane Helene.

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