Hurricane Florence: The By Numbers

Here are some of the records and statistics associated with Hurricane Florence:

• Florence originated from a strong tropical wave off the African Coast on August 30, 2018, and did not dissipate until it was absorbed by a frontal system on September 17th.
• Florence is the 8th wettest tropical cyclone in the contiguous United States and is now the wettest tropical cyclone for both North and South Carolina. The rainfall from the storm created new record event totals for the states over a 4-day period.
• Florence reached a Category 4 status with peak winds of 130 mph on September 4-5, before weakening to a tropical storm and regaining Category 4 status on September 10th. The storm underwent an eyewall replacement and wind shear and was downgraded to a Category 1 before making landfall in North Carolina.

• The city of Wilmington was cut off from the mainland at one point due to the flood waters from Florence.
• Portions of Interstates 95 and 40 and US 70 were impassable for days after the event due to floodwaters.
• Many rivers in South Carolina did not crest until two to three weeks after Florence’s landfall.