HURRICANE FLORENCE - NORTH CAROLINA

Hurricane Florence, a large and slow moving hurricane, made landfall during the morning of September 14, 2018.  After the eye crossed Wrightsville Beach, NC at 7:15 a.m. the storm spent the next two days producing record-breaking rainfall across eastern North Carolina and a portion of northeastern South Carolina.  Over 30 inches of rain were measured in a few North Carolina locations, exceeding the highest single-storm rainfall amounts ever seen in this portion of the state.  A station in Loris, SC recorded 23.63 inches rain, setting a new state tropical cyclone rainfall record for the state of South Carolina. 

Record river flooding developed over the next several days along the Cape Fear, Northeast Cape Fear, Lumberton, and Waccamaw Rivers, destroying roads and damaging thousands of homes and businesses.  A USGS report indicated nine river gauges reported floods exceeding their 1-in-500 year expected return intervals.  Although Florence will be remembered primarily for its record-breaking flooding, wind gusts over 100 mph caused significant damage to buildings, trees, and electrical service across the Cape Fear area. 

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Maximun Sustained Wind Speed: 137 mph

Fatalities: 53

Damage: $24 billion 

Saffir-Simpson Rating: Category 4

Central Pressure: 65.5 mb 

Rainfall: 30 in

Storm Surge: 10 ft

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Response: New Bern / Pink Hill / Sarecta / North East