North Carolina honored MLK Jr. Day amid storms, crashes, and water alerts on January 19, 2026.

On January 19, 2026, North Carolina marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day with events honoring civil rights legacy, including a memorial brunch and unity march, while infrastructure issues emerged, such as a water advisory in Martin County and a planned water outage in Surf City. A severe geomagnetic storm triggered by solar activity made auroras visible across much of the U.S., prompting warnings about potential disruptions to satellites and power grids. Meanwhile, a major multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 196 involving jackknifed semitrucks stranded drivers and caused widespread delays, though no fatalities were reported.