North Carolina has been slammed by relentless storms and flooding—and it’s not over yet.

In this episode of the Carolina Weather Group, we sit down with Brandon Jones, the Catawba Riverkeeper, to talk about protecting our rivers, why heavy rainfall leads to dangerous water pollution, and how you can help keep local waterways clean.

We also check in with Tim Buckley, Chief Meteorologist at WFMY in Greensboro, to break down the recent North Carolina flooding, the impact of Tropical Storm Chantal, and why weather forecasting gets so tricky this time of year.

Key topics in this episode:

How rainfall triggers pollution and E. coli spikes in local lakes and rivers

The history and mission of the Catawba Riverkeeper organization

Flooding aftermath from Tropical Storm Chantal

Urban vs rural flash flooding across the Carolinas

The problem with slow-moving storms and why forecasting them is difficult

How you can volunteer for river cleanups and citizen science projects

Upcoming Carolina Weather Group events

🌊 Learn more or get involved:

Catawba Riverkeeper Website ➡️ https://catawbariverkeeper.org

Report Harmful Algal Blooms ➡️ Search "NC DEQ Algal Bloom Report"

🎥 Join us weekly for the Carolina Weather Group - your trusted source for weather, science, and environmental news across the Southeast.

0:00 Welcome and Show Open

2:05 Meet Brandon Jones, Catawba Riverkeeper

5:15 Why Safe Swimming Water Matters

8:30 Testing for E. coli & Water Safety in NC

10:45 How Rainfall Triggers Pollution Spikes

12:00 Recent NC Flooding: Durham, Greensboro & Beyond

13:00 River Cleanup After Hurricanes

15:30 How Rivers Change After Floods

18:00 Infrastructure Challenges Along NC Rivers

19:10 How to Volunteer for River Sweep

20:30 Citizen Science & Algal Bloom Reports

26:00 Flash Flooding in Central NC: Why It’s So Dangerous

28:00 How Tropical Storm Chantal Fueled Record Rainfall

34:00 Explaining the Stuck Weather Pattern

39:00 Water Supply Issues After Flooding

42:00 River Basin Map: Where All This Water Goes

47:00 Final Thoughts & Wrap Up

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The 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.