It has been 19 years since Hurricane Fran made landfall in North Carolina. It was the last major hurricane (category 3 or higher) to strike the state. The storm made landfall on the evening of September 5, 1996 south of Wilmington as a category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 115mph and gusts to 125mph.
In North Carolina, the storm produced extensive damage from the coast to as far inland as Raleigh and the Triangle. Damages to homes and businesses just in the state were estimated at $2.3 billion. An additional $1.1 billion in damage was reported to public property with $700 million in damages to agriculture. The hurricane killed 37 people - 24 of those were in North Carolina.
Numerous beachfront homes along the state's southern coast were destroyed by storm surge, but it wasn't just storm surge that caused problems. In Wilmington, there were reports of up to 75% of homes in the city that sustained some type of damage mainly due to the powerful winds.
Hurricane force wind gusts reached as far inland as Raleigh. Numerous trees were downed around the capital city. Across the state, over one million people lost power. Some of the outages lasted a week or longer.
Heavy rains caused flooding in inland locations as well. Over 10 inches of rain was reported near Raleigh. The storm also caused flooding in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland.
Hurricane Fran should serve as a reminder that powerful storms can strike North Carolina, and hurricanes can causes devastation well inland from the coast. Are you prepared for the next major hurricane?
Share your memories of Hurricane Fran with Meteorologist Lee Ringer on Facebook and Twitter or e-mail ncweather@twcnews.com.
Hurricane Fran links:
- Storm recap from the National Weather Service in Wilmington
- Storm recap from the National Weather Service in Morehead City
- Storm recap from the National Weather Service in Raleigh