Hurricane Florence (2018)
Hurricane Florence was the first major hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to November 30. Originating as a tropical storm off the west coast of Africa on August 30, Florence rapidly intensified to a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (209 km/h) by September 5. After fluctuations in strength, it made landfall on September 14, near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, with winds of about 90 mph (144 km/h). The storm's slow movement exacerbated flooding across several states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York, leading to record-breaking rainfall totals, particularly in North Carolina where some areas received over 35 inches (91 cm) of rain.
Hurricane Florence caused significant environmental and infrastructural damage, including the failure of multiple dams and contamination of drinking water due to flooding of wastewater treatment facilities. The storm resulted in at least 49 direct fatalities and caused an estimated $45 billion in damages. In North Carolina, the National Guard was deployed to assist in rescue operations, highlighting the severity of the situation. The hurricane also generated tornadoes in several areas and led to widespread power outages for approximately 1.4 million residents. The impact of Florence underscored ongoing concerns about climate change and its potential role in increasing rainfall intensity during such storms.
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Hurricane Florence (2018)
Date: September 12-15, 2018
Place: Landfall near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina; inland to South Carolina.
Result: The storm was the wettest tropical hurricane recorded in the Carolinas and caused significant flooding in North and South Carolina and Virginia. In addition to more than 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain, the region was devastated by record-breaking storm surges of 9-13 feet (2.7-4 meters). Florence was responsible for $45 billion in damages and 49 direct deaths.
Overview
Hurricane Florence was the first major hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season. The season officially begins on June 1 and ends November 30. A weather system is classified as a tropical storm when it has wind speeds greater than 39 miles per hour (63 kilometers per hour). Tropical storms reach hurricane status when wind speeds exceed 74 mph (119 km/h). The official 2018 season was the first in a decade to have four concurrently active named storms.
Florence was born on August 30, 2018, as a moist tropical gust off Africa’s west coast. It became a tropical depression the following day near Cape Verde as it moved west-northwest; it became a tropical storm on September 1. From September 4 to 5, Florence quickly gained strength and became a category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (209 km/h). Though it weakened to a tropical storm by September 7, Florence again grew to hurricane strength on September 9. By September 10, it was a major hurricane, unleashing winds of up to 140 mph (225 km/h).
Wind shear weakened the storm somewhat, and it was downgraded to a category 1 hurricane by late September 13. However, its wind field continued to expand as it moved toward the East Coast of the United States. The storm continued to gain moisture as it barreled over the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Florence had maximum sustained winds of about 90 mph (144 km/h) when it made landfall the morning of September 14 near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.
Florence was downgraded to a tropical storm on September 15 as its top sustained winds fell to 70 mph (110 km/h). It was centered about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with winds and rain reaching up to 175 miles (281 kilometers) from the center. By then its movement had slowed considerably, moving west at about mph (6 km/h). Its slow progress contributed significantly to flooding, as the storm continued to drop rain on the region. After Florence tracked slightly south and west into South Carolina, it changed direction. The tropical storm meandered north and east, causing flash flooding in several states, including Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York.
Storm surges also contributed to flood damage. These began on September 13, when a storm surge of 10 feet (3 meters) was reported at the Cherry Branch Ferry Terminal on the Neuse River. Elsewhere on the Neuse that same day, water levels 6 feet (1.8 meters) higher than normal tide were recorded. Multiple locations along the coast reported record high tides.
Hurricane Florence spawned tornadoes in North Carolina near Pamlico County and in Craven County on September 13; another tornado appeared the following day in Carteret County and Jones County; and a tornado developed in Onslow County on September 15. As the storm moved through the northeast, at least thirteen tornadoes were reported in the Richmond, Virginia, area on September 17. The Midlothian tornado, with winds estimated from 115 to 125 mph (185 to 201 km/h), was on the ground for 7.5 miles (12 kilometers).
Impact
Hurricane Florence dropped ten trillion gallons of rain over an area of 14,000 square miles. It broke numerous flood records in North Carolina, and was one of the second wettest storms on record. Among Atlantic hurricanes, Florence was second in rainfall only to Hurricane Harvey, which pummeled the Houston, Texas, region in 2017. At least two dams in North Carolina failed, and a dozen or more in South Carolina were overtopped as well. The flooding infiltrated wastewater treatment systems, pouring pollutants such as pig manure and stored coal ash into drinking water and the environment. The floodwaters also prompted huge swarms of mosquitoes to hatch in standing pools of water.
Rainfall broke records in North Carolina, with a reported 35.93 inches (91.26 centimeters) near Elizabethtown. In South Carolina, 23.63 inches (60 centimeters) of rain also was a record breaker. Record-breaking flood levels were recorded on Cape Fear River, Trent River, Little River, and Black River in North Carolina. The Waccamaw River in South Carolina, which crested at 21.16 feet (6.4 meters)—more than three feet higher than its previous record—remained above flood stage three weeks after Florence departed the Carolinas.
Hurricane Florence was responsible for forty-nine direct deaths, as well as several deaths in the aftermath of the storm. In North Carolina, thirty-nine people died; nine people died in South Carolina; three deaths in Virginia were attributed to the hurricane.
A peak wind gust of 106 mph (170 km/h) was recorded at Cape Lookout, North Carolina. Both Wilmington and Fort Macon recorded peak wind gusts of 105 mph (168 km/h). The hurricane-force winds ripped apart trees and electrical lines, leaving 1.4 million customers without power. Most of the residents of eastern North Carolina were left in the dark. Hurricane Florence also destroyed roads, bridges, and other structures. North Carolina activated the National Guard to assist during the storm, with 2,800 soldiers assisting with rescues and other services.
Hurricane Florence was responsible for $45 billion in damages. By contrast, the 2005 Hurricane Katrina cost $160 billion when it devastated Louisiana, and the 2017 Hurricane Irma was estimated to cause $50 billion in damage in Florida and Georgia. Experts estimated 51,000 homes were flooded by storm surge alone. A total of 700,000 residential and commercial properties in North Carolina were damaged or destroyed. According to the US Army Corps of Engineers, more than 11,000 flooded homes were affected because of rising sea levels. Some researchers estimated global climate change also contributed to the amount of rainfall.
Bibliography
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