Hurricane Fran- September 6, 1996.

WINDS: 115-mph.
PRESSURE: 28.17 inches (954 mb).
STORM - SURGE: 8 - 12 feet above mean tide.

LEFT/RIGHT: Surf City, North Carolina after Hurricane Fran in September 1996 (Photo WSOC).

 

Hurricane Fran is the strongest hurricane to make a direct hit on North Carolina since Hazel in 1954. Emily (1993), and Gloria (1985), only brushed the Outer Banks, while Donna (1960) mainly affected the coastal counties. Not since Hazel - had a major hurricane charged directly inland with such force. Fran caused record damage in North Carolina and southeastern Virginia. As of 2007 - Fran is the most expensive hurricane to ever hit North Carolina.

Like many intense Atlantic hurricanes, Fran was a classic Cape Verde storm. Fran developed from an area of thunderstorms that rolled off the west African coast on August 23, 1996. By August 26th, Fran reached hurricane strength, moving in a west-northwest direction. During the last few days of August 1996 - Fran continued to move in a general northwest direction toward the United States mainland.

Air Force Hurricane Hunters reached Fran late on September 4th while the storm was about 100-miles to the north of the Bahamas Islands. Based on aircraft data - Fran reached category 3 strength at 2106 GMT on September 4th, with a barometric pressure of 27.94 inches (946 mb) and sustained winds of 120-mph. Additionally, Fran had become a very large hurricane - hurricane hunters measured winds of 120-mph more than fifty-miles from the center.

Late on September 4th, forecasters believed Fran would strike the U.S. mainland in North Carolina. Hurricane warnings were issued from Brunswick, Georgia to Cape Lookout, North Carolina. Unfortunately, Fran threatened near the Labor Day holiday - adding to evacuation problems. More than 500,000 residents and tourists fled low lying areas in the final 18-hours before Fran hit the mainland. The eye of Fran passed over Cape Fear, North Carolina at 8:30 p.m EDT on September 5th. Fran was the first major hurricane to cross the North Carolina coast since Emily passed over the Outer Banks in 1993.

Hurricane Fran heads toward landfall in southeastern North Carolina with 115-mph winds in September 1996 (Photo courtesy NOAA).

METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN THE UNITED STATES

Reconnaissance aircraft reports estimate Hurricane Fran had sustained winds of around 115-mph when the eye crossed the North Carolina coast. According to the National Hurricane Center, there were several reports of winds over 100-mph. As Fran crossed the coastal waters of North Carolina, Frying Pan Shoals Light Tower (FPSN7) recorded sustined winds of 92-mph with a peak gust of 124-mph. As is typical, there were few wind measurements on land in the area where the eye of the hurricane crossed the coast. Amateur radio volunteers relayed reports from private citizens who recorded even stronger winds during the storm. Although considered unofficial - there was a report of a 137-mph gust from Hewletts Creek near Wilmington, and gusts up 125-mph were measured at Wrightsville Beach. It is likely that Fran had wind gusts near 140-mph along exposed coastal areas around Cape Fear and Wrightsville Beach.

The National Hurricane Center estimates Hurricane Fran had a barometric pressure of 28.17 inches (954 mb) when the center crossed the North Carolina coast. The NOAA ship "Whiting" docked in Wilmington State Pier recorded a minimum pressure of 28.32 inches (959 mb) at 2135 GMT on September 5th. Frying Pan Shoals Light Tower recorded a minimum pressure of 28.35 inches (960 mb) as the center passed about 10-miles to the north.

Hurricane Fran produced a 8 to 12-foot storm surge along the North Carolina coast from Cape Lookout south to the South Carolina state line. The 8 - 12 foot storm surge, combined with 10-foot waves (surge + wave), created a 20-foot wall of water - that acted as a bulldozer on 50-miles of coastline. Wrightsville Beach was submerged by tides 10 to 12-feet above normal - with most of the town underwater at the height of the storm. According to a FEMA field report, a maximum storm surge of 11.9 feet, was measured inside a building on Figure Eight Island, NC.  A maximum recorded high water mark of 15.4 feet above mean sea level (surge + wave), was observed near Kure Beach. It is estimated that 600 residential homes were totally destroyed. Beach sand was deposited four to six-feet deep on some coastal roads. In a final cruel irony - Fran's 12-foot storm surge carried away the temporary North Topsail Beach police station and town hall, housed in a double-wide trailer since Hurricane Bertha's rampage across the same area in July.

ABOVE: Severe storm-surge damage and overwash near North Topsail Island, North Carolina after Hurricane Fran in 1996 (Photo courtesy of North Carolina State Fisheries - 1997).

 

ABOVE: Hurricane Fran's wind and storm surge heavily damaged this oceanfront hotel on North Topsail Island, North Carolina (Photo Grammatico -1996).

 

THE IMPACT

As local and national news agencies gradually reached the landfall area, the devastation Fran had caused became apparent. The barrier island communities just north of Wilmington had bore the brunt of Fran's fury. There was significant damage and beach erosion in Kure and Carolina Beach. Around the Wrightsville Beach and Topsail Island areas, some sections had almost total destruction. News helicopters flying along the coast captured images of hundreds of buildings with roof and wall sections missing. Fran's 12-foot storm surge and 140-mph wind gusts did considerable damage to thousands of structures along the North Carolina coast. It is likely that Fran was more damaging to North Carolina than any hurricane since Donna in 1960. Although Fran was more intense than Donna - it appeared that building codes and mitigation efforts helped to reduce property damage and fatalities.

Like Hurricane Hugo in 1989 - Fran first devastated coastal communities, than roared inland with unusual force. Raleigh was battered. Not since Hazel, had the booming city been hit with wind and rain so hard. Due to Fran's intensity at landfall, the storm was still near hurricane strength when it hit Raleigh 100- miles inland. Wind gusts of 90-mph downed thousands of trees, causing major secondary damage to homes and business. Compounding the problem - Fran hit the Raleigh area late in the evening. As the storm grew more fierce, electrical power to thousands was lost. Only people with battery powered radios were receiving storm updates. Terrified residents sat in darkness, as fifty-foot, century-old oaks crashed through their homes.  

Fran also dumped torrential rain on eastern North Carolina. Rainfall of 6 to 15 inches, caused extensive flooding. Several rivers and lakes in North Carolina reported their highest known flows. The one-million square foot Crabtree Mall/Sheraton Hotel in Raleigh, was flooded up to the second level. Weeks later, merchants reported finding poisonous snakes that had climbed on the upper shelves to escape the rising water. Dozens of road and foot bridges over streams and rivers were swept away.

The extent of Hurricane Fran's storm surge is clearly visible in this photograph taken from the air. The ocean overwahed the barrier island here near Topsail Island from ocean to sound (photo courtesy North Carolina State Fisheries - 1997).

 

Fran also caused significant flash-flooding in the middle Atlantic states as the storm swept northward. Along the Tappahanock River in Virginia - a storm surge of 5-feet damaged or sank several small boats and damaged wharfs and bulkheads. This was the highest tide in the state since Hurricane Hazel of 1954. The Potomac River around the nation's capital, backed up into Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, causing considerable damage. There was severe damage to power lines that left 415,000 people without electricity - the largest storm related power outage in Virginia history up to that time. Western Maryland also suffered flash-flooding as the storm moved inland. About 650 homes were damaged in western Maryland along with $100 million in crop damage. This was the worst flooding event to hit Maryland since Hurricane Hazel and the January flood of 1996.

Hurricane Fran resulted in 24 fatalities in the United States. Several of the fatalities were due to flash flooding and persons struck by tree limbs. Fran was the third most costly Hurricane in American history up to that time - with damage at $3.2 billion dollars (in 1996 dollars). The United States Government provided $750-million in disaster aid.

 

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 © Michael A. Grammatico 8/99