RDU On the Rise: TV picks for Hurricane Ian weekend | Fall football | Vote by mail

TGIF! (Even if it’s a rainy one, with a rainier weekend to follow.) I’m Kimberly Cataudella, a service journalism reporter with The News & Observer, here to bring you this week’s edition of RDU On the Rise.

I spent my week tracking Hurricane Ian — which is expected to bring up to 6 inches of rain and some heavy gusts of wind to the Triangle through the weekend, Josh Shaffer reports.

Prepare & stay safe

Even if it feels a bit silly, it’s best to be overly prepared. I reported some last-minute things you can do to be ready:

  • Turn on emergency alerts: Follow the storm using a reputable source.

  • Have basic supplies: Such as necessary medication, a full tank of gas in your car, non-perishable food (+ can opener), a phone charger and water — one gallon per person per day. Fully restock your emergency kit if you can.

  • Get your porch & backyard prepped: Bring what you can inside, and trim the trees you’re worried may fall.

  • Stay home: Heavy rain is expected to bring flash flooding to the Triangle, so meteorologists advise staying off the roads as much as you can.

  • Get the latest news: Our teams are working hard to keep you informed and safe. Keep up with the latest developments on our website, and sign up for free breaking news emails and mobile alerts.

Volunteers gathered to pack 1,000 emergency preparedness kits filled with food, water and other supplies to disburse to families and individuals in case of a flood or hurricane on June 18, 2021 at the Inter-faith Food Shuttle warehouse in Raleigh, N.C. The Food Shuttle, along with volunteers from Blue Cross NC and Food Lion collaborated to pack the kits.

While you’re home...

Cozy up with our staff-picked (streamable!) recommendations:

This image released by Netflix shows Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth in “The Crown.” (Alex Bailey/Netflix via AP)
This image released by Netflix shows Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth in “The Crown.” (Alex Bailey/Netflix via AP)

(Make sure you’re subscribed to the Happiness is a Warm TV newsletter, written by the one-and-only Brooke Cain, for weekly television and movie recommendations.)

If you do have to drive this weekend, remember to never, ever drive through flood water. Keep this handy saying in mind: Turn Around and Don’t Drown! Plan an alternate route before heading to your destination (including Saturday’s NC State football game at Clemson).

Don’t miss photographer Ethan Hyman’s gallery of the last time N.C. State football played in a hurricane in 2016.

Plus, be sure to check this on-going list of event cancellations and venue changes to adjust your plans.

Welcome, fall!

Our newsroom ushered in fall last Thursday by cheering on our very own Durham Bulls, who were crowned IL East Division champions this week!

The News & Observer staff cheers on the Durham Bulls on Thursday, September 22, 2022 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The News & Observer staff cheers on the Durham Bulls on Thursday, September 22, 2022 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

I’ll be planning more staff outings as the temperature keeps dropping, so give me all your cool-weather Triangle spots.

If you haven’t already, check out our ultimate guide to autumn events and happenings in the Triangle this season.

Your need-to-know headlines

Make your voice heard: Read up on how to vote by mail for the (shockingly close) November election — in which you can already vote by casting an absentee ballot. Will Doran has the FAQ.

Durham public housing is turning into a mixed-income community, Mary Helen Moore tells us. A $40 million federal grant is meant to revitalize two downtown complexes into modern communities.

Pajama pants or business casual? Some Triangle companies are requiring employees to come back to the office. Brian Gordon tells us which tech companies have the mandate (and how employees feel about it).

• Tacos, anyone? Food reporter Drew Jackson reports on an outlandishly creative taqueria born in the DC suburbs launching its first expansion in Raleigh.

Born in the DC suburbs, Taco Bamba will open a new taco shop in Raleigh’s Ridgewood shopping center next year on Wade Avenue.
Born in the DC suburbs, Taco Bamba will open a new taco shop in Raleigh’s Ridgewood shopping center next year on Wade Avenue.

Wake high schools could start later to prioritize teens’ sleep. T. Keung Hui reports high school and elementary school start times may swap.

Lead alert: There’s been more lead detected on UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus, Korie Dean tells us, after lead was found in drinking fountains and sinks earlier this semester.

Fact checks: Politics team members Lars Dolder and Avi Bajpai fact-checked Marjorie Taylor Greene’s conspiracy claims at the Wake GOP gala and an altered photo claiming an NC Democrat supports defunding the police.

• Calling all dog lovers: Our Colleen Hammond has the story on Duke’s Puppy Kindergarten search for volunteers to help raise puppies hard at work to become service dogs.

Dogs enjoy the morning sun in the puppy park at Duke Puppy Kindergarten on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, in Durham, N.C. The Duke Puppy Kindergarten studies how different rearing methods affect the traits of assistance dogs.
Dogs enjoy the morning sun in the puppy park at Duke Puppy Kindergarten on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, in Durham, N.C. The Duke Puppy Kindergarten studies how different rearing methods affect the traits of assistance dogs.

See you later

Tune in next week to hear from service journalism reporter Korie Dean, my teammate and friend.

Have a great weekend, and stay safe!

Before you go:

Kimberly Cataudella is a Service Journalism Reporter at The News & Observer.
Kimberly Cataudella is a Service Journalism Reporter at The News & Observer.