Wilmington NC hits....

[NCWX]

My neighbor is a living legend... He was born here in Wilmington NC in 1940.  He was 14 when Hazel hit and lost his sister, and well he has lots of stories to tell. Some are down right scary.  But he swears up and down the last 10 years there has been more tropical events than ever before.  I am trying to find for him a complete list of all tropical storms and hurricanes to have hit Wilmington NC since his birth.  Can anyone point me in the right direction. Thanks 

[ncforecaster89]

Hi!  I’m so sorry to hear that he and his family endured such a horrible loss.  I was born thirty years (1970) after your neighbor, in Wilmington, and have been a hurricane researcher from the time I experienced my very first hurricane eyewall in 1984 (Diana). 

Here’s a list of all known TS’ and H’s that have made a direct hit on Wilmington, NC (1940-2020):

Storm 3 (1944) Cat 1 H (eye)

Storm 1 (1945) TS winds (H-offshore)

Storm 2 (1946) TS

Storm 7 (1949) TS

Storm 3 (1952) TS

Barbara (1953) TS winds (H-offshore)

Carol (1954)  TS winds (H-offshore)

Edna (1954)  TS winds (H-offshore)

Hazel (1954) Cat 4 (eyewall)

Connie (1955) Cat 1

Diane (1955) Cat 1 (eye)

Ione (1955) Cat 2 

Storm 11 (1956) TS (offshore)

Helene (1958) Cat 3 (eyewall)

Gracie (1959) TS (SC landfall)

Brenda (1960) TS

Donna (1960) Cat 2 (eyewall)

Storm 6 (1961) TS

Ginny (1963)  TS winds (H-offshore)

Dora (1964) TS

Alma (1966) TS (offshore)

Gladys (1968)  TS winds (H-offshore)

Ginger (1971) TS winds (H-north)

David (1979) TS winds (H-SC landfall)

Dennis (1981) TS

Storm 2 (1982) STS (offshore)

Diana (1984) Cat 2 (eyewall)

Bob (1985) TS winds (H-SC landfall)

Gloria (1985) TS winds (H-offshore)

Kate (1985)  TS

Hugo (1989) TS winds (H-SC landfall)

Gordon (1994)  TS winds (H-offshore)

Opal (1995)  TS winds (TS-west)

Bertha (1996) Cat 2 (eye)

Fran (1996) Cat 3 (eye)

Bonnie (1998) Cat 2 (eye)

Dennis (1999) TS winds (H-offshore)

Floyd (19999) Cat 2 (eye)

Irene (1999) TS winds (H-offshore)

Kyle (2002) TS

Isabel (2003) TS winds (H-north)

Charley (2004) Cat 1 (eye)

Gaston (2004) TS winds (H-SC landfall)

Ophelia (2005) Cat 1 (eyewall)

Ernesto (2006) TS/Cat 1 (eye)

Hanna (2008) TS

Irene (2011) TS winds (H-offshore)

Beryl (2012) TS

Sandy (2012) TS winds (H-offshore)

Andrea (2013) TS 

Arthur (2014) TS winds (H-offshore)

Ana (2015) TS

Hermine. (2016) TS

Matthew (2016) Cat 1 (eyewall)

Florence (2018) Cat 1 (eye)

Michael (2018) TS winds (TS-west)

Dorian (2019) TS winds (H-offshore)

Isaias (2020) Cat 1 (eye) 

[ncforecaster89]

The list I provided was produced by meticulously researching the data from both the Wilmington, NC daily climate report as well as reviewing the track maps for the period of 1940 to the present.  
 

Here are the respective links where the aforementioned data was obtained:

https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/Data_Storm.html
 

https://www.wunderground.com/history/daily/us/nc/wilmington/KILM/date/2020-5-17

[NCWX]

Thank you so much....he is a pretty amazing guy to talk with.  He is going to Maine for the summer to spend time with his brother who is not well.  I told him and he is going to write about all the storms he can remember.  It would be an amazing thing to read for us locals.  

[calm_days]

Hopefully at this point of the future there is some protection from stronger storms due to the proximity of Sunny Point, as well as the nuclear power station! 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Ocean_Terminal_Sunny_Point

I am not sure what type of mitigation of hurricane strength is possible in 2021, but, it is doubtful that there has not been a safe and non-disruptive method discovered. 

[SENC]

Yes I've resided in Wilmington, since (forever),, anything after 1969..  My earliest memories, dob in the early 60's.. 

[SENC]

Most *Notable*, (In My book)..

 

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Posted Sunday at 02:34 AM

Hi!  I’m so sorry to hear that he and his family endured such a horrible loss.  I was born thirty years (1970) after your neighbor, in Wilmington, and have been a hurricane researcher from the time I experienced my very first hurricane eyewall in 1984 (Diana). 

Here’s a list of all known TS’ and H’s that have made a direct hit on Wilmington, NC (1940-2020):

 

Dennis (1981) TS

Storm 2 (1982) STS (offshore)

Diana (1984) Cat 2 (eyewall)

 

Gloria (1985) TS winds (H-offshore)

Kate (1985)  TS

Hugo (1989) TS winds (H-SC landfall)

Gordon (1994)  TS winds (H-offshore)

Opal (1995)  TS winds (TS-west)

Bertha (1996) Cat 2 (eye).. (I rode that one out on **Sheep Island** on the Lockwood Folly River..)

Fran (1996) Cat 3 (eye) (I got "smart" & bought a generator).. 

Bonnie (1998) Cat 2 (eye)

 

Floyd (1999) Cat 2 (eye)

Charley (2004) Cat 1 (eye)

 

Ophelia (2005) Cat 1 (eyewall)

Ernesto (2006) TS/Cat 1 (eye)

Matthew (2016) Cat 1 (eyewall)

Florence (2018) Cat 1 (eye)

Isaias (2020) Cat 1 (eye)