Peak Hurricane Season
Arrives On N.C. Coast
The 1989 hurricane season, which began June 1
and ends Nov. 30, has entered its peak months of
August, September and October, according to Joe
Myers, director of the N.C. Division of Emergency
Management.
"Historically, the most severe hurricancs occur
fruiti the iniuuic of August through the miuriic of
October," Myers said. He added that Hurricane
Chantal, which struck the eastern Texas coast last
month, and Hurricane Dean serve as reminders that
the next three months are prime months for hurricanc
activity.
"The hurricane is the most dangerous of all
storms," he advised. "They destroy more property and
threaten the lives of more people than any other
storm."
Hurricanes can cause extensive flooding in coastal
areas and inland areas as well. Even though a hurri
cane weakens in force as they move inland, the storm
can produce six to 12 inches of damaging rains. In
i969, Hurricane Camiile killed more people in
Virginia from flooding than died in Louisiana where
she made landfall.
Preparedness and proper planning are the best
ways to minimize the damage done by hurricanes.
"The completion of the three-year Eastern North
Carolina Hurricane Evacuation Study and the success
ful hurricane exercise in June have given us the tools
we need to protect our coastal residents and visitors,"
Myers noted.
The greatest single loss of life from a hurricane in
North Carolina history occurred during the "Racer's
Storm" in early Octobcr 1837. An estimated 90 people
died when the steamboat "Home" encountered the
storm of! the coast and was destroyed.
Hurricane Hazel is regarded as the most destruc
tive hurricane to have ever struck the North Caiolina
coast, making landfall in Brunswick County. Hazel
roared ashore on Oct 15, 1954, killing 19 people.
Damage estimates exceeded $125 million.
A result of massive flooding, more than 90 percent
of all hurricane-related deaths are caused by drown
ing. Devastating seas rise ahead of the storms and can
push the water level to over 25 feet in some areas.
This enormous wall of water ? called a "storm
surge" ? crashes against die land in a rapid and unpre
dictable manner. The surge acts as a huge bulldozer
and can destroy everything in its path. The stronger
the hurricane, the higher the surge will be.
"The role of the Division of Emergency
Management is to alert citizens of potential dangers
that can result from hurricanes and consequential
flooding," Myers said. For more information on hurri
canes and flooding, contact the Brunswick County
Emergency Management office at 253-4376.
Weather Watchers Of All Types Track' Tropical Storm Moves
" The more I feel threatened ,
the better record I keep. I
like to know where they are,
because it threatens our
livelihood
? Selene Robinson
Supply Resident
BY RAHN ADAMS
When a tropical slorm or hurricane is brewing in
the Atlantic, more than a few people around Brunswick
County have more than a passing interest in it.
From professional meteorologist A1 Hinn at the
National Weather Service office in Wilmington, to local
weather watcher Jackson Canady of Shallotte Point, to
individuals like Supply resident Selene Robinson, the
weather ? particularly the severe variety ? isn't just a
topic of casual conversation.
Hurricanes, the most powerful of storms, have
made their marks on Bn-.nswick County and the south
eastern North Carolina coast, even though the storms
are relatively infrequent occurrences here. The last
major storm to threaten the coast was Hurricane
Charley in August 1986.
But in the backs of many people's minds is the idea
that the area is long overdue for a severe hurricane like
the devastating Hurricane Hazel of October 1954 or
even powerful Hurricane Diana of September 1984.
And the potential exists every hurricane season. For
that reason, tropical storms and hurricanes arc serious
business for many individuals, whether on a profession
al basis or not.
Meteorologists like Hinn and Canady agree that this
should be an active hurricane season similar to last year
when 11 named storms formed in the Atlantic Ocean,
although none of them seriously threatened the North
Carolina coast.
"In looking at the season, it would be an average
season," Hinn said last week, basing his prediction on
information from the country's most renowned hurri
cane expert, Dr. William Gray of Colorado State
University.
Hinn indicated that an average season consists of
100 to 120 storm "impulses" forming in the Adantic
near the coast of Africa; at least 10 named tropical
storms; five or six storms that reach hurricane status
(74 niph winds); three hurricanes that threaten the
United States; and one that is a severe hurricane.
He emphasized, however, that hurricanes making
landfall in the Cape Fear region can be considered "rare
events," since only eight have hit this area since the
turn of the century.
Hazel's Legacy
But long-time local residents like Mrs. Robinson,
wife of Supply farmer Harold Kobmson, remember aii
too well how destructive those rare events can be. The
SUPPLY RESIDENT SELENE ROBINSON
stands in her back yard beside the oak tree that she
said served as her "barometer" during Hurricane
Hazel in 1954.
HURRICANE tracking CHART
REMEMBER. hurricanes are large powerful storm* thet can suddenly change direction.
Check frequently on the storm's progress until sll Watches and Warnings for your area
from the National W aether Service ere canceled.
Bcxfon
ISLANDS
HURRICANE WATCH
* h"rTte*n'? may threeten within 36 hours
? Be prepared to take action H a warning is issued
by the National Weather Service.
s Keep Informed of the storm's progress
HURRICANE WARNING: humcene expected to strike within 24 hours
? Leave beachfront and low-lying arees
? Leave mobile homes for more substantial shelter
? Stay in your home H it is sturdy, on high ground,
end not neer the beach but if you are asked to
lesve by authontiee. Gol
? Stay tuned to radio. NOAA Weather Redio. or
television for hurricane advisories and safety
information.
S.w
O S?*r> lt>and
Cttm G<*.*a
e 46*
? ?0*
35"
30*
2cr
? 10*
??
TRACKING MAPS such as the one above help coastal residents stay up to date on the movement of a hurricane or other tropical cyclone. The National Weather
Service issues consecutively numbered advisories at regular intervals stating the storm's position, intensity, speed and direction of movement. The hurricane
center position is given by iatitude (such as 20.5 degrees North) and longitude (such as 65.0 West), which can be piotted on the map.
Robinsons lived here in 1954 when Hazel swept the
Brunswick County coastline clean.
Even though Hazel's 109-mph winds were consid
erably less powerful than Hurricane Diana's 132-mph
winds here in September 1984, Hazel was more de
structive because she made ianufaii ai high tide, caus
ing a higher than normal storm surge. Diana hit at low
tide.
"It was no picnic," Mrs. Robinson understated
about Hazel. "It just cleared the beaches, and many of
those (people) that wouldn't evacuate (the beaches)
were killed." Ninety-five deaths in the United States
were attributed to Hazel, which retained her destructive
intensity through the Middle Atlantic States.
The Robinsons, whose farm is well inland near
Supply, did not evacuate during Hazel. Mrs. Robinson
chuckled as she recalled using an old oak tree in their
back yard 2? ? "harnmp.te.r" to measure the storm's
severity. "I figured that if it took the oak tree, it would
take the house," she said. The gnarled oak still stands.
For at least the past 10 years, Mrs. Robinson, like
many other local residents, makes a standard practice of
tracking tropical storms and hurricanes that form in the
Atlantic. She uses an ordinary hurricane tracking map
and gets her storm data ? such as coordinates, direction
and speed of travel, and wind speeds ? by listening to a
weather radio.
"The more I feel threatened, the better record I
keep," she explained. "I like to know where they are,
lyr!)ii?" il lhrratpn? onr livelihood."
She said one of the worst hurricanes she has ever
tracked here was Diana. As a result of high winds and
heavy rain in the storm, Robinsons lost half of their
tobacco crop and a shed that housed about 1 ,000 bales
of hay.
"Weather to most people ? if it's not too severe ? is
just a nuisance," she said, "but to a farmer, it's his
livelihood."
Tracking Dean
Before Hurricane Dean changed its westward bear
ing near Puerto Rico and headed north toward
Bermuda, Canady kept close waich on the storm, since
he knew it was following the "classical track" of hurri
canes iiioi can end up threatening the southeastern
United States.
Canady 's interest in weather is on a different level
from Mrs. Robinson's. An engineer at Atlantic Tele
phone Membership Corporation, Canady records local
weather data in his spare time and has served as a local
weather watcher for the Beacon, a Wilmington televi
sion station and various government agencies.
In tracking tropical storms and hurricanes over the
past few years, Canady has learned that they are highly
unpredictable ? Hurricane Diana being a good example
of that unpredictability, because she passed the Bruns
wick County coast, then circled back and made landfall
here.
"Diana was probably one of the most frustrating
hurricanes to predict," Canady commented, also noting,
"Each one is an individual storm."
He emphasized that coastal residents should always
be prepared for possible evacuation during hurricane
season. "1 think we have to be aware that this is going
to be a fairly active season," he added.
Like Hinn, Canady also predicted that at least 10
named storms will occur during the current season,
which began in June and lasts until the end of
November. The heart of the season is late August and
September.
Canady observed that weather patterns this year are
similar to those last year, when slightly more tropical
storms and hurricanes than normal occurred. Hurri
canes require ocean water temperatures of at least 80
degrees to form and maintain their strength; tropical
storms can exist with water temperatures in the 70s, he
said.
The local weatherman also pointed out that four
named storms already have occurred early this season
and that two of them have made landfall, both on the
Gulf Coast.
Getting Ready
In preparing for the possibility of a visit from
Hurricane Dear., Hir.r. said Ac National Weather
Service office checked all of its equipment, including a
wind-measuring station at Holden Beach. That device
was not working properly, he said, and parts were
ordered to fix it immediately. Spare parts for equipment
in Wilmington also were ordered.
Besides taking care of equipment needs, Hinn said
his office gets ready for tropical storms and hurricanes
by adjusting the 11-member staff's work schedule. For
example, electronics specialists go on duty around the
clock when the office is in a "hurricane scenario," so
that they would be on hand tn fix any equipment that
might malfunction. Hinn said
He also urged local residents to stay informed about
the approach of storms by using weather radios and
tracking maps, as Mrs. Robinson does. "We encourage
people to buy a weather radio," he said. 'They're very
inexpensive."
The weather service transmits on a frequency of
162.550 MHz from the WWAY television tower near
Winnabow. Hinn said residents throughout Brunswick
County can pick up the weather broadcasts, although
the signal is weak from Shallotte to Calabash because
the antenna is not pointed in that direction.
Still, he assured that the same basic weather infor
maiirvn ran racilv he rerrivpft in southwestern
Brunswick County from the Myrtle Beach (S.C.)
weather service office, whose frequency is 162.400
MHz. Other weather stations can be received at
162.465 MHz.
"I think the key is we've got some good communi
cations capability out there, and the public can stay
informed," he said. "But the important thing is having
those resources" to receive that information.
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