Morehead City, North Carolina's History with Tropical Systems

Current Weather | Morehead city hurricane history video

(br) = Brush (ts) = Tropical Storm (bd) = Back Door, meaning coming from over land from opposite coast. Not all names are noted. Also, storms before 1950 were not named. Not every stat on every storm description is given. (since 1871)

Morehead City most likely to be hit by a hurricane between August 24th and August 30th

Years within or near core

1871tsbr
1872ts
1873tsbr
1874bdtsbr
1876
1877tsbr
1878tsbr
1878
1879m
1880
1881br
1882ts
1882br
1885bd
1885tsbr
1887-2m
1887tsbr
1888ts
1889ts
1893-2bdts
1893ts
1893tsbr
1894-2tsbd
1897ts
1897-2tsbr
1899m
1901ts
1907xtropts
1908br
1908
1908ts
1910ts
1910xtropst
1912xtropst
1913
1918ts
1924br
1925xtropst
1928bdts
1933
1934xtrophbr
1936br
1937ts
1938xtropst
1944br
1945ts
1946ts
1949br
1953
1954br
1954-2brm
1955-2
1958m
1960bdts
1960
1962ts
1964bdts
1964ts
1968br
1971ts
1971
1972bdts
1975tsbr
1981ts
1982subtrop
1984
1985br
1986
1995xtropstbd
1996tsbr
1996
1996m
1996xtropstbd
1998
1999ts
1999
1999br
2002tsbr
2003
2004ts
2005
2006tsbr
2007ts
2007xtropstbd
2008tsbr
2011
2014
2016bdts
2016br
2018
2018bdtsbr
2019br
2020bdbr
2021tsbd
2021bdtsbr
2022tsbr
2023bdtsbr
2023ts

104 times in 153 years (as of end of 2024)

Names from list above (D and I storms most likely to impact the area)

Barbara
Carol
Edna
Hazel
Connie
Ione
Helene
Brenda
Donna
Isbell
Alma
Dora
Gladys
Doria
Ginger
Agnes
Hallie
Dennis
Diana
Gloria
Charley
Arther
Allison
Bertha
Fran
Bonnie
Dennis
Floyd
Gustav
Isabel
Charley
Ophelia
Ernesto
Gabrielle
Barry
Cristobal
Irene
Arthur
Hermine
Matthew
Florence
Michael
Dorian
Isaias
Claudette
Elsa
Ian
Idalia
Ophelia

Tropical Storm to Hurricane ratio

TS = 59, 56.73%
H = 45, 43.27%

only 8.42% of all tropical systems affecting Morehead City are major hurricanes this includes brushes

Longest gap between storms

8 years 1987-1994

How often this area gets affected?

Brushed or hit every 1.47 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits. (hurricane force winds for a few hours)

Once every 5.46 years. (28 hits) State stats

Average years between direct major hurricane hits. (major hurricane in advisory upon passage)

Once every 25.5 years. (6 hits)

Average MPH of hurricane hits. (based on sustained winds from advisories, not gusts)

98 mph

Statistically when this area should be affected next

Before the end of 2025

This is just a statistical average & does not mean the area will be affected by that year.

Last affected by

2023 September 23rd Tropical Storm Ophelia passes over with 70 mph winds while moving north.

This area's hurricane history

1876 September 17th 85 mph from the south, 2 dead in Onslow countyfrom Okracoke to rocky mount reports were gathered of killed & injured.
1878 October 22nd, 105 mph from the south just west an anemometer registered 138 mph before being blown.
1879 August 18th a hurricane from the south-southwest with 115 mph winds
1880, 80 mph September 9th from south-southwest.
1885bd hit 80 mph August 25th from the west-southwest
1887 August 20th, 120 mph to the east from the southwest
1887 just 4 days later August 24th, 125 mph winds just east from the southwest
1899 August 17th a hurricane with 120 mph winds hits just east & north from the southeast, the whaling communities of shakleford banks were destroyed
1908 July 31st 80 mph from the southwest.
1913 September 3rd, 85 mph from the southeast.
1933 September 16th, 95 mph from the east-southeast.
1953 Hurricane Barbara hits with 105 mph winds on August 14th from the south, 1 killed, half a dozen injured. Reported lull for 15 minutes at 9:30 pm. Roofs blown off several homes. Weather map
1955 August 12th, hurricane connie to the east by 25 miles 100 mph (HURDAT) hurricane came from south. Newspaper headline
1955 Hurricane Ione September 19th, 105 mph (HURDAT) from the south.
1958 September 27th Hurricane Helene brushes just southeast by 25 miles with 125 mph winds from the west-southwest tides here rose 8 ft, heavy coastal damage
1960 September 11th Hurricane Donna hits with 110 mph winds from the south-southwest causing moderate to heavy damage here 100 injured more here
1971 September 30th Hurricane Ginger hits with 80 mph winds from the southeast
1984 September 12th, Hurricane Diana hits from the west-southwest just south with 105 mph winds
1986 August 17th, Hurricane Charley just east with 75 mph winds
1996 Hurricane Bertha July 12th, 105 mph, 45 miles to the south area had gusts to 100 mph bertha had winds of 105 mph pressure 28.85. Newspaper article | Radar | NHC final report
1996 September 5th, Hurricane Fran just southwest with 115 mph winds from the south-southeast. Newspaper headline | #2 | Satelite image | NHC final report | USGS surge info
1998 August 27th Hurricane Bonnie hits with 85 mph winds while moving northeast back out to sea. NHC final report | USGS surge info
1999 Hurricane Floyd September 16th 75 mph winds from the south-southwest. NHC final report
2003 September 18th Hurricane Isabel hits with 100 mph winds causing moderate damage. Moving northwest @24 mph some roof damage, some coastal homes destroyed. 1 killed here, 400 or 500 houses with flood damage.Mill Creek also suffered extensive road flooding. East part of Carteret county hit hard & west had minimal damage.The city�s old number two fire station near Camp Glenn had the flat portion of its roof lifted up and suffered some damage. Radar animation (Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School) damage photos | Newspaper article | Hit map | NHC final report | USGS surge info
2005 September 15th Hurricane Ophelia passes just south with 90 mph winds Northern eyewall over Morehead City for a couple of hours.Heavy damage by surge in Salter Path. Pier badly damaged in Atlantic Beach. Widespread power outages with some roof damage & coastal flooding. Radar animation (Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School) Damage in Salter path | NHC final report
2011 August 27th Hurricane Irene hits from the south with 85 mph winds. Soybean losses amounted to about 40 percent.Cotton losses were at least 65 percent.Emerald Isle, Morehead city and Beaufort reported the largest figures for damages topping $700,000 in preliminary estimates. Hurricane Warning Show | Irene model history | Radar animation | NHC final report
2014 July 3rd Hurricane Arthur hits with 100 mph winds while turning northeast. Overall minor damage 13,199 Carteret County customers were without power. Boats of various size dragged anchor, piling up either together or along the shore on Taylors Creek and Town Creek in Beaufort. Right before landfall on July 3rd 101 mph wind reported at Cape Lookout. NHC final report | HurricaneCity.com live broadcast at landfall | Radar animation
2018, September 14th Hurricane Florence hits near Wilmington with 90 mph winds but the large hurricane force wind field pummels Morehead city for hours causing massive flooding. Morehead city reported 25.62 inches of rain extensive wind damage a 6.02 ft storm tide & loacalized flooding. Best track data with model error | Our coverage as it happened | Radar at landfall Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School

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Stat sources:

Text Sources:

"Divine Wind" by Kerry Emanuel
"Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms" by John M. Williams and Iver W. Duedall
"Florida's Hurricane History" by Jay Barnes
"Hurricane Almanac" by Bryan Norcross
HurricaneCity.com calculations by Jim Williams
"Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States" by Rick Schwartz
"Hurricane Watch" by Dr. Bob Sheets and Jack Williams
"Inside the Hurricane" by Pete Davies
"Isaac's Storm" by Erik Larson
"Killer 'Cane" by Robert Mykle
"Lunatic Wind" by William Price Fox
Miami Herald newspaper (microfilm)
"Path of Destruction" by John McQuaid and Mark Schleifstein
Sun Sentinel newspaper (microfilm)
"The Major Hurricanes To Affect The Bahamas" by Wayne Neely
"The Ship and the Storm" by Jim Carrier
Plus many more......