CASI Special Report
By CASI Member Jay Barnes Author Of NC & FL Hurricane Histories

Hurricane Floyd: North Carolina’s Greatest Storm?

As much of eastern North Carolina begins the long and grueling process of drying out and recovering from the record flooding left by Hurricane Floyd, many are already calling the storm the worst in the state’s history. When compared with other hurricanes of the past, Floyd appears to be a good candidate for that notorious title.

"Though other hurricanes have landed with more ferocious winds and tides, Floyd’s copious rains and the resulting floods have created a disaster unlike any our state has seen," said Jay Barnes, author of North Carolina’s Hurricane History (UNC Press). "Though the death toll may climb higher and the dollar damages are still being tallied, we can already see that Floyd will be remembered as North Carolina’s worst hurricane," Barnes said.

When Floyd made landfall near Cape Fear last week, maximum sustained winds were estimated at 110 mph, making the hurricane a strong category two on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Many other hurricanes have struck the state with greater intensity, including Hurricane Fran in 1996, which was a category three.

Hurricane Hazel, which swept inland over Brunswick County in October 1954, was the benchmark storm for an entire generation of Tar Heel residents. Its 140 mph winds and 17 ft. storm surge place it among a rare group of hurricanes--the only category four to make landfall in North Carolina in the twentieth century. No category five has ever hit the state, according to Barnes’ research.

Though Floyd will not be remembered as the most intense, it is already among the most deadly of the state’s natural disasters. Only one hurricane has killed more people in the state’s history. In September 1883, a violent storm killed 53 people along the Cape Fear River near Wilmington. Hurricane Hazel was responsible for 19 deaths in the state, Fran killed 24. At least 40 deaths were blamed on the August 1879 hurricane that struck Carteret County, and the San Ciriaco Hurricane of August 1899 killed 25.

State and federal officials will be busy for weeks compiling the total dollar losses left in Floyd’s wake. Early estimates suggest that the agricultural destruction alone may top $1 billion.

Across the eastern third of the state, officials concede that the total losses could easily surpass the $5.2 billion estimate placed on Fran. In contrast, Hurricane Hazel’s toll was a mere $136 million.

"We clearly have entered the era of billion dollar hurricanes in North Carolina," Barnes said Friday. "The storms of the fifties have been wholly eclipsed by Fran and Floyd, largely because of the extensive growth that has occurred in the state."

Jay Barnes’ book North Carolina’s Hurricane History, as well as his new release Florida’s Hurricane History, can be seen on the UNC Press website: http://metalab.unc.edu/uncpress/hurricanes/

© 1999 Central Atlantic Storm Investigators