DURHAM, N.C., Oct. 28 -- North Carolina State University issued the following press release:
First came the floods, then came the fires. Just six months after Tropical Storm Helene struck western North Carolina, more than 2,000 wildfires broke out across the region, scorching at least 23,000 acres between March and April 2025.
The recent blazes underscore the increasing risk of wildfires in the southern Appalachian mountains due to "hydroclimatic whiplash" - a phenomenon that North Carolina State University researchers are on the forefront of addressing as part of a new, federally-funded, multi-institutional study.
Supported by an approximately $1.79 million grant from the National Science Foundation, NC State has partnered with Mississi...