FINAL REPORT: NHC Details Hurricane Florence

news image
Special Stories
5 May 2019 3:52 AM
https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1124405559187394561 The National Hurricane Center has issued its complete evaluation of Hurricane Florence in their final Tropical Cyclone Report of 2018's Atlantic Season. Florence peaked at category 4 strength, before making landfall in North Carolina as a category 1 hurricane. However, Florence's true power was evident in the freshwater flooding and storm surge impacts across the southeast. This single storm was responsible for 22 direct deaths and 24 billion dollars in damage. NHC tracked Florence from its beginnings as a tropical wave off of the African coast. The cyclone systematically charged across the Atlantic into early September 2018. Florence went through several cycles of rapid intensification and weakening. Despite reaching peak intensity 725 n mi east-southeast of Cape Fear, NC, cooler sea surface temperatures caused by upwelling allowed it to weaken as it approached land. Florence made landfall as a 80-kt hurricane near Wrightsville Beach, NC on September 14, 2018. The slow forward speed kept heavy rain training over the same areas of the southeastern US. Flooding continued for days after landfall.

Top Stats:

Wind Speed:  150  mph Minimum Central Pressure: 937 millibars Maximum Storm Surge Inundation Heights: 8 to  11 ft above ground level Tornadoes: 44 across 3 states Deaths: 22 direct (15 in NC, 4 in SC,  3 in VA), 30 indirect Rainfall: Impacts outlined in an excerpt form the report:

"The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) estimates that wind and water damage caused by Florence totaled approximately $24 billion. This makes Florence the ninth-most-destructive hurricane to affect the United States. Approximately 1.1 million customers lost power due to Florence’s effects, with 1 million customers having lost power in North Carolina and 100,000 customers experiencing power loss in South Carolina."

 
All Weather News
More
Hurricane Prep Week 2025

Hurricane Prep Week 2025

WeatherNation's "Hurricane Preparedness Week"

1 Jun 2025 4:20 PM
Wildfire Smoke Spreads South Across the U.S.

Wildfire Smoke Spreads South Across the U.S.

Smoky skies will continue to cover portions o

1 Jun 2025 4:20 PM
Isolated Severe Storms for TX Today

Isolated Severe Storms for TX Today

After temperature extremes and a very active

1 Jun 2025 4:15 PM
Aurora Borealis Could Reach the Mid-Latitudes Sunday Night

Aurora Borealis Could Reach the Mid-Latitudes Sunday Night

Even through summer is approaching, the north

1 Jun 2025 4:10 PM
First Tropical System in the Atlantic Could Form Mid-June, Watching E. Pacific

First Tropical System in the Atlantic Could Form Mid-June, Watching E. Pacific

Atlantic hurricane season is just around the

1 Jun 2025 2:05 PM
Florida Braces for a Stormy Few Days

Florida Braces for a Stormy Few Days

The Southern United States has certainly been

1 Jun 2025 1:55 PM
First Named Storm of the Season in the Pacific, Alvin Heads Toward Baja

First Named Storm of the Season in the Pacific, Alvin Heads Toward Baja

Hurricane Season has begun in the Eastern Pac

31 May 2025 10:10 AM