Hurricane Florence was a slow-moving, long-duration storm that impacted the Carolinas in September 2018, causing widespread destruction. Although it reached Category 4 strength, it made landfall as a strong Category 1 storm. Its defining characteristic was its sluggish movement, which caused it to stall over the region and led to a historic rainfall event across North and South Carolina.
The Immediate Impact of Coastal Landfall
Hurricane Florence made landfall on the morning of September 14, 2018, near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, with maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour. The initial impact involved damaging winds and a significant storm surge, especially between Cape Fear and Cape Lookout. Storm surge levels of over four feet were recorded, which eroded beaches and damaged properties close to the shoreline.
Coastal communities like Wilmington and the surrounding beaches experienced widespread power outages and structural damage from the winds. Peak wind gusts over 100 miles per hour were recorded along the North Carolina coast, tearing down trees and power lines.
Devastation From Slow Moving Inland Flooding
The most significant consequence of Hurricane Florence was the inland freshwater flooding that followed for days after landfall. The storm stalled over the Carolinas, dumping historic amounts of rain that shattered state records, with some areas receiving more than 35 inches. This immense volume of water overwhelmed major river basins, causing record river flooding that surpassed levels seen in previous major hurricanes like Matthew (2016) and Floyd (1999).
The Cape Fear, Neuse, and Lumber Rivers became the primary conduits of this disaster, with nine river gauges reporting flood events that exceeded their 1-in-500 year expected return intervals. Cities along these rivers suffered the most comprehensive and prolonged physical destruction.
New Bern experienced significant storm surge flooding followed by extreme freshwater inundation. Further inland, Fayetteville faced mandatory evacuations along the Cape Fear and Little Rivers due to rapidly rising floodwaters. The community of Lumberton saw the Lumber River crest at new record levels, isolating the area and submerging neighborhoods.
The damage involved prolonged submergence, which contaminated homes and infrastructure, making recovery efforts incredibly difficult. This extensive river flooding destroyed roads, damaged thousands of homes, and isolated entire communities for days.
Quantifying the Economic and Infrastructural Toll
The physical devastation translated into an enormous quantifiable cost across the affected region, including parts of North and South Carolina. Initial damage and economic loss estimates ranged widely, suggesting a total economic toll between $30 billion and $50 billion. North Carolina alone reported preliminary damage estimates of $16.7 billion.
The infrastructure strain was massive, with the slow-moving floodwaters causing extensive bridge closures and road washouts that crippled transportation networks for weeks. Approximately 1.4 million customers experienced power outages across the Carolinas. The widespread flooding also contaminated water sources, as numerous industrial waste sites, including hog manure lagoons and coal ash pits located in the flood plains, were breached.
The human impact was significant, with thousands of people displaced and nearly 140,000 North Carolinians registering for disaster assistance. Agriculture suffered devastating losses, including the destruction of crops and the death of an estimated 3.5 million poultry and 5,500 hogs.