HURRICANE INFORMATION, GENERAL AND NORTH CAROLINA: This file contains: I. Hurricane classifications II. Hurricane predictions and actual statistics, current and historical III. NC hurricanes from 1950 on IV. History of naming hurricanes and retiring hurricane names HURRICANE SEASON: June through November; most affect North Carolina after Labor Day I. HURRICANE CLASSIFICATIONS Category Wind Speed Storm Surge 1 74-95 MPH 4-5 feet 2 96-110 MPH 6-8 feet 3 111-130 MPH 9-12 feet 4 131-155 MPH 13-18 feet 5 156-up MPH 19 feet and up II. ATLANTIC BASIN HURRICANE PREDICTIONS: (Dr. William M. Gray, Colorado State University, 303-491-8681) For definitions and more details, see the NRD Vertical Files under Hurricanes. NOTE: "intense hurricanes" denotes category 3-4-5 storms 1998 Predictions (as of August 6, 1998) hurricanes 6 named storms 10 hurricane days 25 intense hurricanes 2 hurricane destruction potential 75 named storm days 50 intense hurricane days 5 net tropical cyclone activity 110% maximum potential destruction 70 1997 Predictions Actual 1997 (as of August 6, 1997) hurricanes 6 3 named storms 11 7 hurricane days 20 10 intense hurricanes 2 1 hurricane destruction potential 60 26 named storm days 45 28 intense hurricane days 3 2.2 net tropical cyclone activity 100% 54% maximum potential destruction 60 27 1996 Predictions Actual 1996 (as of August 7, 1996) hurricanes 7 9 named storms 11 13 hurricane days 25 45 intense hurricanes 3 6 hurricane destruction potential 70 135 named storm days 50 78 intense hurricane days 4 13 net tropical cyclone activity 105% 198% 1995 Predictions Actual 1995 (as of August 4, 1995) hurricanes 9 11 named storms 16 19 hurricane days 30 62 intense hurricanes 3 5 hurricane destruction potential 90 172 named storm days 65 121 intense hurricane days 5 12 net tropical cyclone activity 130% 237% 1994 Predictions Actual 1994 (as of August 4, 1994) hurricanes 4 3 named storms 7 7 hurricane days 12 7 intense hurricanes 1 0 hurricane destruction potential 35 15 named storm days 30 28 intense hurricane days 1 0 net tropical cyclone activity 55% 36% 1993 Predictions Actual 1993 (as of August 5, 1993) hurricanes 6 4 named storms 10 8 hurricane days 25 10 intense hurricanes 2 1 hurricane destruction potential 55 23 named storm days 50 30 intense hurricane days 2 .75 1992 Predictions Actual 1992 (as of August 5, 1992) hurricanes 4 4 named storms 8 6 hurricane days 15 16 intense hurricanes 1 1 hurricane destruction potential 35 51 named storm days 35 39 intense hurricane days 2 3.25 1991 Predictions Actual 1991 (as of August 2, 1991) hurricanes 3 4 named storms 7 8 hurricane days 10 8 intense hurricanes 0 2 hurricane destruction potential 25 22 named storm days 30 22 intense hurricane days 0 1.25 1990 Predictions Actual 1990 (as of August 3, 1990) hurricanes 6 8 named storms 11 14 hurricane days 25 27 intense hurricanes 2 1 hurricane destruction potential 75 57 named storm days 50 66 intense hurricane days 5 1 III. SIGNIFICANT NC HURRICANES NAME DATE CATEGORY / COMMENTS BONNIE Aug. 22-28 3 Landfall Aug. 26 near Cape Fear (South of Wilmington). 450 mile wide Bonnie almost came to a standstill with experts fearing widespread flooding and dangerous storm surge. However, damage was not as extensive as feared and may not exceed that done by hurricane Bertha, which totaled $1.2 billion in July 1996. Crop damage may total more than $164 million and the fishing industry has been shut down to assess pollution. 2 fatalities were reported; a 12 year old NC girl was killed when a tree fell on her home. FRAN Aug. 24-Sept.6, 1996 3 Landfall Sept. 5 near Wilmington, NC. Flash flooding and high winds in the Carolinas, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. One million in NC left without power. 34 deaths (14 in NC); damage estimated at over $3.2 billion. Crop and livestock damage in NC amounted to nearly $400 million. BERTHA July 5-14, 1996 2 Landfall near Wilmington on July 12, hardest hit area North Topsail Beach. Extensive damage to piers, dunes and buildings along the coast. 1 death; storm cost coastal businesses an estimated $6 million per day and caused $200 million in crop damage from South Carolina to New England. EMILY Aug 31-Sept 13 1993 3 Above normal water level, and winds of 115 mph. NC damage estimated at $15 million. The 25-mile stretch on Hatteras island between Cape Hatteras and Rodanthe was hardest hit. BOB Aug.18-19 1991 3 Brushed NC coast near Cape Hatteras Aug. 19th. Damage in NC estimated at $4 million ($1 billion in New England). HUGO Sept. 21-22, 1989 4 Landfall at Charleston Sept. 22nd, crossed into NC near Gastonia and into Charlotte. 21 killed in NC/SC. (2 in NC). Total damages estimated at $4.5 billion, second most costly storm in U.S. history. NC damages estimated at $1 billion; most devastating storm in state history. CHARLEY Aug. 17-18, 1986 1 Landfall at Cape Lookout Aug. 17th, moved north on coast to Currituck County. 1 death in NC. NC damages estimated at $250 thousand. GLORIA Sept. 26-27, 1985 3 Landfall at Cape Hatteras Sept. 27th, then back to sea. 1 death. N.C. damages est. to be $8 million. DIANA Sept. 9-14, 1984 2 Landfall near Long Beach Sept. 13th, on to Wilmington, back to sea over Pamlico Sound. 3 deaths(indirectly related). Damages to southern N.C. coast estimated at $67 million. DAVID Aug. 25 to Sept. 8, 1979 2 Affected NC Sept. 5. 1 death; $2.5 million in damages to Brunswick County beaches. BELLE August 9, 1976 1 Passed east of Hatteras. No deaths; negligible damage. AGNES June 20-21, 1972 1 Landfall in Florida. Devastating floods from North Carolina to New York. 4th most costly storm in U.S. history. GINGER Sept. 30 - Oct. 1, 1971 1 Landfall at Morehead City. No deaths; damages estimated at $10 million. CAMILLE Aug. 19-20, 1969 5 Landfall in Mississippi, but caused major flooding in NC mountains. 5th most costly storm in U.S. history. GLADYS October 20, 1968 2 Passed east of Hatteras. No deaths; negligible damages. ISBELL October 16, 1964 2 Landfall at Morehead City. No deaths; negligible damages. DONNA Sept. 11, 1960 4 Effects felt from Florida to New England; entered NC at Cape Fear. 8 deaths, $17 million in crop damage. 15 counties declared disaster areas. HELENE Sept. 27, 1958 4 Off coast of Wilmington to Hatteras. No deaths; $11 million in damages. IONE Sept. 19, 1955 3 Landfall near Salter Path, moved inland toward Oriental, Elizabeth City. Total deaths for storm 7 (U.S.). Damages estimated at $88 million. DIANE Aug. 17, 1955 2 Landfall at Carolina Beach, moved into Wilmington; remnants felt in Triangle. No deaths in NC; Diane and Connie combined to cause a total of $100 million in damages. CONNIE Aug. 12, 1955 3 Landfall at Cape Lookout, then toward Oriental and Elizabeth City. HAZEL Oct. 15 1954 4 Landfall at the NC/SC line; major damage at coast; rapidly moved inland with center near Rocky Mount. 19 deaths. $150 million in damages. 5-mile stretch of coast disappeared. EDNA Sept. 10, 1954 3 Passed east of Hatteras. No deaths; damages estimated at $110 thousand. CAROL August 30, 1954 3 Passed east of Hatteras. No deaths in NC; damages estimated at $250 thousand. BARBARA August 13, 1953 1 Landfall at Morehead City to Ocracoke. 1 death; damages estimated at $1.1 million. September 14, 1944 3 Passed east of Hatteras moving northward. 108 buildings destroyed and 600 damaged; $1 million in crop damage. 1 killed, heavy damage to Elizabeth City and Nags Head August 1, 1944 1 Landfall near Southport. Heavy damage to Carolina beach and southern coastal counties. $2 million in damages. September 18, 1936 2 Eye passed off coast of Cape Hatteras. Significant beach erosion at Nags Head. 2 killed, $1.6 million in damage in NC and Virginia. September 15-16, 1933 3 Passed over Pamlico sound, New Bern flooded. 21 killed, $3 million in damage. August 22-23, 1933 2 Passed east of Ocracoke. High tides and winds caused $250,000 in damage to northeastern counties. ------------------------------------------------------------------- IV. HISTORY OF NAMING HURRICANES: For several hundred years many hurricanes in the West Indies were named after the particular saint's day on which the hurricane occurred. Tannehill describes in his book "Hurricanes" the major tropical storms of recorded history and mentions many hurricanes named after saints. For example there was "Hurricane Santa Ana" which struck Puerto Rico with exceptional violence on July 26, 1825, and "San Felipe" (the first) and "San Felipe" (the second) which hit Puerto Rico on September 13 in both 1876 and 1928. Tannehill also tells of Clement Wragge, an Australian meteorologist who began giving women's names to tropical storms before the end of the 19th century. An early example of the use of a woman's name for a storm appears in the novel "Storm" by George R. Stewart, published by Random House in 1941, and since filmed by Walt Disney. During WW II this practice became widespread in weather map discussions among forecasters, especially Air Force and Navy meteorologists who plotted the movements of storms over the wide expanses of the Pacific Ocean. In 1953, the US abandoned as confusing a two-year plan to name storms by a phonetic alphabet (able, baker, charlie) when a new, international phonetic alphabet was introduced. That year, this Nation's weather services began using female names for storms. The practice of naming hurricanes solely after women came to an end in 1978 when men's and women's names were included in the Eastern North Pacific storm lists. In 1979, male and female names were included in lists for the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. RETIRING HURRICANE NAMES: Whenever a hurricane has had a major impact, any country affected by the storm can request that the name of the hurricane be "retired" by agreement of the World Meterological Organization (WMO). Retiring a name actually means that it cannot be reused for at least 10 years, to facilitate historical references, legal actions, insurance claim activities, etc., and to avoid public confusion with another storm of the same name. If that happens, a like gender name is selected in English, Spanish, or French for Atlantic Storms. Below is a list of Atlantic Ocean "retired" names of storms occuring after 1950 (the year storms were first named): Agnes* 1972 Carol* 1954 Frederic 1979 Alicia 1983 Celia 1970 Gilbert 1988 Allen 1980 Cleo 1964 Gloria* 1985 Andrew 1992 Connie* 1955 Hattie 1961 Anita 1977 David 1979 Hazel* 1954 Audrey 1957 Diana 1990 Hilda 1964 Betsy 1965 Diane* 1955 Hugo* 1989 Beulah 1967 Donna* 1960 Ione* 1955 Bob* 1991 Dora 1964 Inez 1966 Camille 1969 Elena 1985 Janet 1955 Carla 1961 Eloise 1975 Joan 1988 Carmen 1974 Flora 1963 Klaus 1990 Opal 1995 *storms that affected North Carolina ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SOURCE: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Margaret at 845-0450) and National Weather Service (Joe Pelissier at 840-0451 at RDU or 515-8209). Margaret suggested going through the National Data Center in Asheville for subsequent data, (704)259-0682. Prediction and actual storm information is from the Forecast of Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Activity for 1998 by the Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University. A new forecast of the statistical probability of U.S. coastal landfall of intense hurricanes for 1998 is available on the web site below. Questions can be directed to Thomas Milligan, Media Representative for Colorado State University, 970-491-6432. For a taped interview with hurricane forcaster Dr. William Gray, call 970-491-1525 (http://tropical.atmos.colostate.edu/forecasts/index.html) NOTE: Lists of the deadliest, strongest, and costliest hurricanes making landfall in the U.S. from 1900-1994 are available in the NRD Vertical Files ...or visit the websites that feature them: http://www.usatoday.com/weather/whfatal.htm /whstrong.htm /whcost.htm LAST UPDATED: September 1, 1998 ljames@nando.com