Hurricane Earl (Raleigh: house, high school, tornado)

[HappyTees]

Good Afternoon everyone. As most know Hurricane Earl is on it's way to the US coast line. As they are predicting at the moment, we may not be impacted I could not help but to wonder about hurricanes. Has anyone ever been through a hurricane while living in the Triangle? Just curious, what is it like? I happen to be fascinated by weather but I have never experienced a hurricane first hand. Just thought I would ask for some experiences. Thanks ya'll!

[frankpc]

I was here for Fran. We were very lucky, no home damage and had power back in three days. Even though, the fascination wears off quickly.

FWIW - The track for Earl moved a bit west again this AM.

Frank

[sachivalay]

Lived through Isabel(2003) Hurricane Isabel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and Fran(1996) Hurricane Fran - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Saw a house across the street cut in half by a big tree. Hurricanes are serious danger and I just wish they do not come wandering here.

[mdp_az]

It is not fun. While certainly not the norm, tropical storms and hurricanes can and do hit the Triangle region. A Cat 1 hurricane like Fran back in 1996 can do some serious damage. Expect some or all of the following with a storm of that magnitude:
- Intense rainfall (think 6"-10"+ in 24 hours)
- Flooding of all creeks and rivers with significant overflow into low lying areas (i.e. - Crabtree Valley)
- Basements and cellars flooded, especially in older homes. Get stuff off the floor and onto a high shelf or an upper level.
- Downed trees and limbs everywhere, including on top of cars, through roofs, etc... The pine trees, while they look scary shifting too and fro, aren't the worst offenders. It is usually the heavy, old hardwoods or the weak Bartlett Pears that cause the most damage.
- Power out for anywhere from a few hours to a week. If you're on a well, fill the tubs w/ water so you can at least flush the toilet.
- Schools, stores, and workplaces closed for a few days
- If a storm is coming, be sure to charge your cell phone and have a supply of drinking water, candles, books, a battery-powered radio, a grill or gas stove for cooking, and non-perishable food on hand. And ice to preserve what you can in the fridge or freezer.

[lamishra]

I was here for Fran too. Honestly, I slept through the whole thing and when I woke up and saw the devastation, I couldn't believe it!

[HappyTees]

Thank you all for your messages and Mdp_az thank you very much for the tips. I really would not know what to do if ever faced with one. It's really good to be prepared with knowledge of these sort of things if your not used to it. Better to be ahead then behind.

[raleighkc]

Check out this state website about hurricane preparedness: http://www.state.nc.us/NCHurricane.aspx

[Poggly Woggly]

My brother and I sat in front of the picture window and watched pine tree after pine tree come down all around our house in October of 1954....Hurricane Hazel. She came ashore near South Port and was still at hurricane force when it got to Raleigh. It turned Raleigh upside down for what seemed like weeks. North Carolina natives still talk about Hazel to this day....the ones of us that remember it

Hurricane Hazel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Many of you remember Fran, and I'm sure you know the damage that sustained 70 mph winds can do to this area. I was living in the area of Shotwell in Wake County at the time, and it took out our electricity for 15 days. Fran totally demolished out backyard. When my wife saw the damage at daybreak she screamed "that's it...we're moving back to Raleigh" I thought Fran was bad, but many tell me that she was no Hazel.

"A word to the Wise" It is a good idea to check your emergency supply kit this time of year. If you don't have one I suggest getting one soon. If you wait until we have a hurricane forecast you've waited too late, because the stores are already sold out of things you'll need.

[GarnerMama]

I can understand the fascination, but like frank said, it wears off quickly. It's smart to have a kit prepared in case we're hit, especially if you have children. Ours comes in handy right through the winter with possible ice storms. During Fran we had a tornado pass behind our house. It looked like the DOT came through and cleared the woods for a road. I was scared to death. My husband slept right through it. Power outages and falling trees are the worst for me.

[caesarsgirl79]

I was here for Fran too. I slept through the whole thing. I tree fell on our house and my car, my first car That was my senior year in high school. We were out of school for a while. We didn't have any electricity for a while either.