Staff members at North Carolina’s public media network, UNC-TV, have worked  to share stories of our state’s citizens affected by Hurricane Matthew and its aftermath, as well as those organizations and individuals helping ease the pain of this natural disaster.

To help address the needs of our state’s afflicted residents, all programming on UNC-TV and the North Carolina Channel will be preempted Thursday, Oct. 20, from 8 to 11 p.m., in order to present Hurricane Matthew Special Coverage on the two channels and streaming live on the UNC-TV Facebook page (facebook.com/unctv).

UNC-TV and the North Carolina Channel will also encore the program at 9:30 p.m. During the 90-minute special, viewers will be encouraged to donate to the North Carolina Hurricane Matthew Relief Fund in partnership with the United Way of North Carolina.

Over the last two weeks, producers and crew from UNC-TV’s local series “NC Now,” “SciTech Now North Carolina” and “North Carolina Weekend” have traveled throughout eastern North Carolina documenting the devastation, listening to survivors’ stories and hearing from organizations working to provide vital resources and help to affected areas.

Throughout the special, viewers will hear from those most affected by the flooding in Bladen, Robeson and Pitt counties, as well as Princeville and Goldsboro, and they’ll see North Carolinians from all walks of life, including some of our youngest citizens, lending a helping hand to start the recovery and rebuilding process.

Gov. Pat McCrory, state emergency management officials and local and state service organizations will provide updates and information about long-term recovery. From bringing light to our state’s most ravaged cities and towns to riding along as the National Guard rescues pets and livestock, Hurricane Matthew Special Coverage offers a mix of information and inspiration interspersed with calls to action to support the North Carolina Hurricane Matthew Relief Fund.

Visit UNC-TV’s complete Hurricane Matthew coverage and resources at unc.tv/stormhelp.