Jul 12, 1996
Hurricane Bertha slammed into the North Carolina coastline between Surf City and North Topsail Beach causing severe damage to property, utilities and roads. Hardest hit were agricultural crops which suffered losses in excess of $126 million. Heaviest damage was in Topsail Beach and all of Onslow County up the coast to Emerald Isle in Carteret County. In Onslow alone, 199 structures were destroyed (117 were mobile homes). An 8-10 foot storm surge struck Swansboro and Emerald Isle. Several bu
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database (event 5580397). Narrative written by NWS staff at the time of the event.
This event is one of many recorded floods in Lenoir County. See the full FEMA flood zone map, NFIP claim totals, and disaster history for the area.