Scientists are noticing a change in weather patterns across the state of North Carolina. What is causing this, and what does it mean for local communities? 
 
Frequency of Storms 
Those living in the Piedmont of North Carolina know that the weather in the year 2025 is very different from the weather in the early 2000s. Geography-wise, North Carolina is a very unique state. Home to coastal, plains, and mountainous regions, residents experience such a large variety of weather patterns throughout the year. However, over the last five years, the state has been experiencing more “whiplash” weather patterns. This is where abrupt dry-to-wet changes are occurring more often than the typical long-slow changing weather patterns. Prior to this, regions in the state may have experienced increased precipitation or droughts over several months. However, this has not been the case in recent years. Flash floods and droughts have become much more frequent in the state, wreaking havoc on agricultural production and the livelihoods of communities.  
Scientists and researchers have been working to provide the best possible data and information to locals, but fear that these frequent severe weather events may make it harder to predict and prepare for them.  
 
Storms of Concern 
September 2018 marked a time in North Carolina history when Hurricane Florence created profound alterations to local ecosystems. Coastal wetlands suffered tree mortality and the spread of ghost forests as storm surge and sea level rise increased salinity and drowned root systems, accelerating long-term ecosystem shifts. Farmers across the eastern coast of the state faced devastating crop losses, prolonged flooding, and supply shortages. 

Looking back to November 2020, North Carolina was severely impacted by Tropical Storm Eta. Combined with a cold front, Eta unleashed record-breaking rainfall across the state, causing widespread flooding, road closures, and the tragic loss of life. Precipitation levels were more than three times their seasonal average, and several rivers, including the Yadkin and Haw, crested at levels that caused moderate and major flooding. This event was one of the wettest events on record for the year 2020.  

In July 2025, Tropical Storm Chantal brought widespread heavy rainfall to the piedmont of North Carolina. This storm drenched the region with several inches of rainfall in the short span of just a few days. The storm’s slow movement and abundance of tropical moisture led to flash flooding in urban areas, swollen rivers, and saturated soils. Daily rainfall records were broken at multiple data collection stations across the state, and localized totals exceeded half a foot, overwhelming stormwater drainage systems' productivity and prompting road closures. Though North Carolina did experience strong wind forces, the primary impact of Chantal was the enormous amount of rainfall. This resulted in flooding, agricultural disruptions, and increased public concerns about the state’s already above-average precipitation for the year. 
 
Impact on Local Communities 
Flash floods that drop large amounts of precipitation over communities in a short period of time introduce a variety of concerns. In urban areas, like Raleigh or Lexington, roads get flooded with water, making them inaccessible. Rural areas can also experience this; however, the biggest concern is the effect on agricultural production. Large fields of crops can become flooded and do not drain properly due to the high precipitation concentration. This exposes crops to becoming moldy and can render them useless the longer they are exposed to standing water. Unfortunately for those working in agricultural crop production, the predictions of current and future weather events suggest that our times of extended periodic annual rainfall are coming to an end.  
 
Specific Events 
Stories from the North Carolina State Climatologist's Office climate blog highlight some of the key events that have impacted the state over the last few years: 

Tropical Storm Chantal 
Hurricane Florence 
Tropical Storm Eta 
Tropical Storm Debby 
 
How Citizens Can Help 
Who knows the North Carolina weather pattern better than local North Carolinians? Our mission focuses on getting the community of this beautiful state to work together and inform one another of the extreme weather events that have become a more frequent concern amongst residents, businesses, and government. If you are interested in helping us spread this message, we have found some ways to get involved.  

The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) program was established on June 17, 1998, and has over 27,500 active observers. This program is an amazing science opportunity for citizens to share precipitation measurements and local condition monitoring reports from their local communities. This company provides high-quality data by promoting their interactive website as well as training and educating individuals on how to use their low-cost measuring tools to observe weather in their local regions. Because scientists cannot be everywhere at once, this program offers scientists an inside look at a wide range of data on precipitation throughout communities.  
Though not specific to just North Carolina, this is a great tool that the NC Climatologist's office uses to help inform drought monitoring progress in North Carolina.