A
History of Hurricanes in North Carolina
Since 1886, 30 hurricanes have made landfall in North Carolina. The state’s protruding coastline is a target for ocean storms moving northward. The most active period of tropical cyclones in the state’s history was 1953 to 1955, when six hurricanes made direct landfall in North Carolina. The most costly hurricane ever to hit the state was Hurricane Fran in 1996, which caused more than a billion dollars in damage in North Carolina alone.
|
Year |
Name* |
Category* |
Location of Landfall |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1999 |
Floyd |
2 |
Topsail Island |
|
1998 |
Bonnie |
3 |
Cape Fear |
|
1996 |
Fran |
3 |
Cape Fear |
|
1996 |
Bertha |
2 |
Topsail Beach |
|
1986 |
Charley |
1 |
Morehead |
|
1985 |
Gloria |
2 |
Hatteras |
|
1984 |
Diana |
1 |
Long Beach |
|
1971 |
Ginger |
1 |
Atlantic Beach |
|
1964 |
Isabell |
1 |
Morehead |
|
1960 |
Donna |
2 |
Wilmington |
|
1955 |
Ione |
2 |
Salter Path |
|
1955 |
Diane |
1 |
Carolina Beach |
|
1955 |
Connie |
1 |
Cape Lookout |
|
1954 |
Hazel |
4 |
NC/SC border |
|
1954 |
Carol |
2 |
Hatteras |
|
1953 |
Barbara |
2 |
Cape Lookout |
*For more information on the naming of hurricanes and the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, go to the National Hurricane Center Web site at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov.
Sources: "A History of Hurricanes in North Carolina," www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu.
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The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, in downtown Raleigh, documents and interprets the natural history of the state of North Carolina through exhibits, research, collections, publications, and educational programming. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sun., noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Visit the Museum on the web at www.naturalsciences.org. The Museum is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, William G. Ross Jr., Secretary.
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