WRAL Doc Podcast

Z’Yon Person was killed by gunshots on his way to get a snow cone. He was nine years old. As Durham continues to grapple with gun violence, WRAL investigative documentary reporter Cristin Severance talks with Z’Yon’s grandmother about his life, his death and the trauma his family experienced – and continues to experience – as soon as those shots came through their vehicle window. Also, a community activist talk...

As Durham grapples with increased gun violence, WRAL investigative reporter Cristin Severance rides along on patrol with two Durham police officers who grew up there. With candor, they describe how shootings in Durham have impacted them personally, why they’re so committed to their work, and how they try to disrupt cycles of violence.  This is the second episode of the companion series to the WRAL-TV documentar...

Join WRAL Investigative Reporter Cristin Severance as she rides along in a patrol car with Durham, NC’s Chief of Police Patrice Andrews. While discussing the immense pressures facing the Durham Police Department, a “shots fired” report comes over the patrol car radio. Follow the chief on the intense ride to the crime scene, and find out why she’s frustrated by gun violence in Durham, but not deterred.  This is ...

Six years ago, Jim Gray and Sandy Tabor-Gray lost their son, Michael, to a heroin overdose. His death was as devastating as you’d imagine, made all the more so because Michael left behind two small children, twins, too young to understand what happened to their dad. With the twins’ mother out of the picture, Jim and Sandy reentered the world of young-kid parenthood, something they never expected to do this late...

All season the WRAL Doc Podcast has explored Wicked Weather - telling stories of some of the fiercest storms ever to strike North Carolina. But as the season wraps up, it's worth diverting our eyes from the past to look toward the future. Are storms getting worse? How is forecasting keeping pace? How can we prepare? This week, experts in the field help us answer these questions and more as we look at what's nex...

Throughout this season, the WRAL Doc Podcast has talked about the destruction that follows Wicked Weather and the impact a single storm can have. But what happens when it isn't just one storm, but two separate weather events mere weeks apart, setting the stage for unprecedented destruction? That's the situation surrounding one of the most infamous and talked-about hurricanes in North Carolina history: Floyd. Th...

For many, when you say the word "Hurricane," Fran is what comes to mind. One of the deadliest and most costly storms in North Carolina history, Fran came ashore as a category three hurricane in September 1996, dropping 19 inches of rain on the state and causing destruction from the coast to the capitol. This week, the WRAL Doc Podcast looks back at the stories and legacy the storm left behind. This episode feat...

Hurricane Florence is the most recent chapter in North Carolina's long, destructive history with Wicked Weather. But when the storm hits, who breaks the news?  This episode of the WRAL Doc Podcast takes you inside WRAL's 75 hours of continuous coverage, profiling the men and women who worked around the clock and against Mother Nature to get the word out and keep people safe as the hurricane raged on. 

While North Carolina is known for its tumultuous relationship with hurricanes, there's another, even faster type of wicked weather we encounter more often than you might think: Tornadoes.  Swift, deadly and difficult to predict, the terrifying funnels have had a destructive impact on our state and frustrated meteorologists for decades.  In this episode, the WRAL Doc Podcast examines personal stories from some o...

North Carolina has a long history with Wicked Weather, but of all the landmark storms to befall the state, perhaps none is more infamous than Hazel.  The first and only category four hurricane ever to make landfall in the state, Hazel came ashore in October of 1954 and caused levels of destruction still talked about today.  In this episode, the WRAL Doc podcast looks back at the legendary superstorm, three incr...

This season the WRAL Doc Podcast is all about Wicked Weather, covering the storms that have made history in North Carolina. But before we take a look back, we thought it was important to cover some recent developments in the science of severe weather.  The National Climate Assessment was released in November 2018 to much discussion, but what does the report really mean? How is our climate changing, and how does...