HURRICANE
FLORENCE
made landfall at
Wrightsville Beach at 7:15 a.m.
on September 14. While not the
monstrous Category 4 or 5 once
feared, Florence was still a dev-astating
storm, with maximum
sustained winds of 91 mph.
The fierce winds knocked down
trees and power lines. More
than 100,000 households in
New Hanover County were
without electricity. The storm
dumped as much as two feet
of rain. Flooding and downed
trees blocked dozens of roads,
leaving the county cut off from
the rest of the state, a virtual
island.
Residents who stayed had to deal
with food and fuel shortages,
while those who evacuated had
no way home for many days.
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WBM october 2018