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Illinois resident relocating to North Carolina, advice needed on effects of hurricanes and tropical storms, want to know what to expect from severe weather before moving
And if so, what part of Illinois are you from and where did you end up relocating to in NC?
I ask because after reading through all the weather disaster posts from previous weeks, I just wanted to know if the floods and tornadoes are more of an issue than I'm familiar with now. I've seen my share of flood disasters and plenty of dark funnel clouds (none have touched down in front of me yet that caused a tornado). I've never experienced a hurricane or tropical depression but I've seen the effects from what a significant downpour can do to a low level area.
I guess I am just trying to get a good comparision of what to expect. Thanks!
NC usually gets affected by 1 or 2 tropical systems a year. Alberto was the first one this year, which I'm sure you saw if you watched the weather channel or most national news channels last week. Qute a bit of flooding in the Raleigh area from that. It is possible, and has happened for, for a stong hurricane to make landfall on the coast of NC, and still cause some very serious damage here in central NC. That last time this happened was in 1996 with hurricane fran. She made landfall at Wilmington as a strong categroy 3 hurricane with winds of about 120 mph, and was still a Category 2 by the time it got here. MANY trees were down, there wasn't a yard in the eastern half of the state that didn't lose trees. That as you can imagine caused a lot of damage to homes. These storms also tend to spin off tornados. Flooding is usually limited, in Wake County atleast, to the very low lying areas, most of which are commmerical zones and not residential. Durring hurricane Fran, Crabtree Valley mall was flooded with 6 feet of water, and last week with Alberto, it was flooded with 4 feet.
I'minformed... you forgot about Hurricane Floyd in 1999, after which every community along the Tar River was virtually destroyed.
On the good side, though, I recently visited that area and was amazed (although I probably shouldn't have been) at how there seemed to be no lasting evidence of the devastation. I asked someone about it, and she told me that everyone helped his neighbor, and they all rebuilt.
You know, I'm just writing some novels, and I'm not considering moving anywhere right now. I like where I live. But if I was considering a move, I think I know exactly where I'd be looking.
By the way, ITChick... I grew up in the Chicago area... northwest suburbs. I can't talk knowledgably about the weather patterns in North Carolina, but here in Georgia there really isn't that much of a difference. It stays hotter here longer in the year, but there's just as much humidity in Illinois as there is in Georgia, and it can get just as hot. We get tornados here too... just like I remember from my childhood in the Chicago 'burbs. The biggest difference, and the most obvious one, is that we get a whole lot less snow in the winter. Sometimes none at all. And if we get a dusting... the schools close.
Floyd was absolutely without a doubt the worse thing I have ever seen in my life. We were not personally affected but nearly 3/4 of the county I am in was flooded and nearly everyone I knew lost everything they had right down to the last towel. We did the best we could to help them since we had power pretty early on. We provided showers, food that they brough over and we cooked for them in addition to setting up our televisions and DVD players with movies for the children. It was horrible to say the least. Fran was more of a wind maker with blown down trees and roof damage and we actually had more damage during her in 1996 than during Floyd. But Floyd affected many, many more people on a wider scale. I have a VCR tape of Floyd that you wouldn't believe. President Clinton even helicoptered down here to Tarboro to check things out. Not that I could have gotten there to see him. We were isolated by the flood waters. I would drive my husband a mile to the stoplight and watch him wade out to a waiting row boat and then he would row boat into work. Now that is something you don't see everyday. And what Dianalee said is the prevailing attitude around eastern North Carolina. If you are hit hard, you can depend on someone to help you and if you are not, you don't sit on your laurels and say thank goodness. You get up and get out there and do what you can to help your neighbor. It is the Southern way.
Last edited by Bethanytedder; 06-20-2006 at 08:59 AM..
NC usually gets affected by 1 or 2 tropical systems a year. Alberto was the first one this year, which I'm sure you saw if you watched the weather channel or most national news channels last week. Qute a bit of flooding in the Raleigh area from that. It is possible, and has happened for, for a stong hurricane to make landfall on the coast of NC, and still cause some very serious damage here in central NC. That last time this happened was in 1996 with hurricane fran. She made landfall at Wilmington as a strong categroy 3 hurricane with winds of about 120 mph, and was still a Category 2 by the time it got here. MANY trees were down, there wasn't a yard in the eastern half of the state that didn't lose trees. That as you can imagine caused a lot of damage to homes. These storms also tend to spin off tornados. Flooding is usually limited, in Wake County atleast, to the very low lying areas, most of which are commmerical zones and not residential. Durring hurricane Fran, Crabtree Valley mall was flooded with 6 feet of water, and last week with Alberto, it was flooded with 4 feet.
Alberto was exactly what caused my concerns. I saw the pictures Silverwing posted from the flooding done by Alberto so I started searching out more posts in this forum and Googled information as well. I guess I was seriously looking at Raleigh to relocate but I am worried now that maybe that isn't a good idea as I really don't want to deal with flooding (unless it is very obvious where the low lying areas are). I was also surprised to see that a Mall area (Crabtree?) was flooded twice. It would make me not want to shop there when a storm is approaching!
I'minformed... you forgot about Hurricane Floyd in 1999, after which every community along the Tar River was virtually destroyed.
On the good side, though, I recently visited that area and was amazed (although I probably shouldn't have been) at how there seemed to be no lasting evidence of the devastation. I asked someone about it, and she told me that everyone helped his neighbor, and they all rebuilt.
You know, I'm just writing some novels, and I'm not considering moving anywhere right now. I like where I live. But if I was considering a move, I think I know exactly where I'd be looking.
By the way, ITChick... I grew up in the Chicago area... northwest suburbs. I can't talk knowledgably about the weather patterns in North Carolina, but here in Georgia there really isn't that much of a difference. It stays hotter here longer in the year, but there's just as much humidity in Illinois as there is in Georgia, and it can get just as hot. We get tornados here too... just like I remember from my childhood in the Chicago 'burbs. The biggest difference, and the most obvious one, is that we get a whole lot less snow in the winter. Sometimes none at all. And if we get a dusting... the schools close.
Cheers,
Diana
I am very familiar with the Northwest 'burbs as I have lived there myself.
A whole lot less snow in the winter is exactly what I'm looking for. I don't mind the humidity at all. I just can't handle the weather when it gets close to 100 degrees. And I've suffered through some bad floods here (and hated the massive clean up I had to go through each time), so I would like to avoid that if possible.
So, can I guess that if you were looking to move, it would be to NC?
If you are hit hard, you can depend on someone to help you and if you are not, you don't sit on your laurels and say thank goodness. You get up and get out there and do what you can to help your neighbor. It is the Southern way.
I agree with you Bethany, even though I'm a northerner, that you try to help your neighbor when they need it.
ITChick, yes, I would definitely consider North Carolina! Beautiful state. But to be very honest, when I left there last week I had this feeling that the lovely rural area I had visited would not look the same in the not-too-distant future. It's about thirty miles from Raleigh... thirty miles is not too far for a determined commuter (that is, if I can judge anything from Atlanta traffic!)
Fourteen years ago my husband and I purchased a house in a subdivision that was surrounded by wheat fields and cattle farms. Now the place is unrecognizable and the traffic is horrendous. And the thing that troubles me is... we were really the start of the problem, being among the first to move out there! Yikes.
So I worry about that precious little spot on the map, with the crop fields and the trees lining the river banks, and the little farm houses still standing... I think if I felt I absolutely had to move there, I would buy an already existing home and try not to touch a single other thing.
I agree with you Bethany, even though I'm a northerner, that you try to help your neighbor when they need it.
And that is a great thing to be neighborly. The next time I might be the one that needs help. But I can't sit by and watch someone suffer when I have what they may need. I wish I had a nickel for every bottle of formula I made when Floyd came through here.
How do families have any storage in the NC area...in thier home I mean? I am deadset on relocating to either Greenville or New Bern or Washington and I have a few family heirlooms.
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