Sep 4, 1996
Hurricane Fran moved onshore near Cape Fear Thursday evening (9/6) and raced north toward Raleigh cutting a swath of destruction. The Category 3 hurricane destroyed or damaged 90% of the homes in North Topsail Beach. The town hall and police station were destroyed. A 15 foot storm surge cut a 100-foot-wide inlet through thye middle of the island. A Camp Lejeune-based Marine lost his life when he and two others mistakenly drove onto the island at the height of the storm. State Route 1568 was
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database (event 5580425). 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.