FLORENCE is reduced to a Category 2 hurricane. Nothing to celebrate. That category refers to winds. It can still have sustained winds of 110 mph. Remember the damage caused when Sandy hit New Jersey? It wasn’t even a hurricane when landfall happened.
Keep in mind 7 percent of deaths from hurricanes are due to wind.
But 75 percent are caused by water. And that has officials scared. The storm surge combined with high tides will devastate coastal areas. Rain inland in parts of North Carolina and Virginia is expected to be measured in feet, not inches. It is large and slow which increases flooding potential. Surge is expected to be 9-13 feet above high tide level. It happens in minutes and it can’t be stopped.
There is a chance it could be Hurricane Floyd all over again. A refresher:
In 1999, Floyd weakened to a Category 2 when it hit North Carolina. It brought rainfall that caused flooding that lasted for weeks..
Floyd affected not only North Carolina but also Virginia and New Jersey, leaving 57 dead and $6.5 billion in damages. The Raritan River in Bound Brook, NJ, flooded most of the town, a considerable distance from the NC landfall.
Rivers exceeded 500-year levels. Farm animals died and their carcasses and waste contaminated waterways.
Florence is a dangerous storm. It will flood and cause power outages and keep people away from their homes for weeks.
It is projected to slowly move across South Carolina then turn north and pass Charlotte, NC on the western side.
Sorry, comments are closed for this post.