Morehead City,North carolina's history with tropical systems
current weather

(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 152 yrs end of 2023






Names from list above
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 1.46 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits.(hurricane force winds for a few hours)
(28h)once every 5.43 years State stats

Average years between direct major hurricane hits.(major hurricane at adv upon passage)
(6)once every 25.33 years

Average MPH of hurricane hits. (based on advisories sustained winds, 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 Sept 23rd tropical storm Ophelia passes over with 70mph winds while moving north.

This areas hurricane past
1876 Sept 17th 85mph from the south,2 dead in Onslow countyfrom Okracoke to rocky mount reports were gathered of killed & injured.
1878 Oct 22nd, 105mph from the south just west an anemometer registered 138mph before being blown .
1879 aug 18th a hurricane from the SSW with 115mph winds
1880, 80mph sept 9th from SSW
1885bd hit 80mph Aug 25th from the WSW
1887 Aug 20th, 120mph to the east from the S.W
1887 just 4 days later Aug 24th, 125mph winds just east from the S.W
1899 aug 17th a hurricane with 120mph winds hits just east & north from the S.E ,the whaling communities of shakleford banks were destroyed
1908 July 31st 80mph from the S.W
1913 Sept 3rd,85mph from the S.E
1933 Sept 16th,95mph from the ESE
1953 hurricane Barbara hits with 105mph winds on Aug 14th from the south ,1 killed 1/2 dozen injured.Reported lull for 15 minutes at 9:30PM.Roofs blown off several homes.weather map
1955 Aug 12th,hurricane connie to the east by 25 miles 100mph(hurdat) hurricane came from south.Newspaper headline
1955 hurricane Ione Sept 19th, 105mph(hurdat) from the south.
1958 sept 27th hurricane Helene brushes just SE by 25 miles with 125mph winds from the WSW tides here rose 8 ft,heavy coastal damage
1960 sept 11th hurricane Donna hits with 110mph winds from the SSW causing moderate to heavy damage here 100 injured more here
1971 Sept 30th Hurricane Ginger hits with 80mph winds from the S.E
1984 Sept 12th, hurricane Diana hits from the WSW just south with 105mph winds
1986 Aug 17th,hurricane Charley just east with 75mph winds
1996 hurricane Bertha july 12th,105mph, 45 miles to the south area had gusts tp 100mph bertha had winds of 105mph press 28.85. Newspaper article | Radar | NHC final report
1996 sept 5th,hurricane Fran just S.W with 115mph winds from the SSE. Newspaper headline | #2 | satelite image | NHC final report | USGS surge info
1998 Aug 27th Hurricane Bonnie hits with 85mph winds while moving N.E back out to sea.NHC final report | USGS surge info
1999 Hurricane Floyd Sept 16th 75mph winds from the SSW. NHC final report
2003 Sept 18th Hurricane Isabel hits with 100mph winds causing moderate damage. Moving NW @24mph 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. | damage photos | Newspaper article | hit map | NHC final report | USGS surge info
2005 Sept 15th Hurricane Ophelia passes just south with 90mph winds Northern eyewall over Morehead city for a couple of hours.Heavy damage by surge in Salter path.Pier badly damaged in Atlantic bch. Widespread power outages with some roof damage & coastal flooding.Damage in Salter path | NHC final report
2011 Aug 27th Hurricane Irene hits from the south with 85mph 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 100mph winds while turning N.E. 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, Sept 14th Hurricane Florence hits near Wilmington with 90mph 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: NHC Track maps/hurdat2/cyclone reports Hurricane research division
Text Sources:(alp)....Divine Wind Kerry Emanuel.....Florida Hurricanes & Tropical Storms John M. Williams & Iver W.Duedall.....Florida's Hurricane History Jay Barnes.....Hurricane Almanac Bryan Norcross.....hurricanecity.com (calculations) Jim Williams.....Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States Rick Schwartz.....Hurricane Watch Dr. Bob Sheets & Jack Williams.....Inside the Hurricane Pete Davies..... Isaac's Storm Erik Larson..... Killer Cane Robert Mykle.....Lunatic Wind William Price Fox....Miami Herald newspaper(microfilm).....Path of destruction John McQuaid & Mark Schleifstein.....Sun sentinel newspaper(microfilm).....The Major Hurricanes to affect the Bahamas Wayne Neely.....The Ship & the Storm Jim Carrier.....plus many more.............
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