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OP, I imagine there are quite a bit of highways that run through and around Portland. Here it's a few roads with traffic lights and they are mostly two lanes. The highway pretty much goes around Wilmington into the country.
As for hurricanes, I honestly don't think Wilmington could handle more than a CAT 3 at most. I think it would be leveled. Then again, seeing as how the amount of developable land is diminishing by the day, there will certainly be less trees to fall on houses moving forward .
IMO I don't see hurricanes being a deal breaker. I'm at max sea level and our power is under ground; we've never lost it. People here took Florence too lightly. A lot of them scrambled last minute to get out when they realized $hi* was about to hit the fan (something they weren't prepared for). This caused everyone to flood in every direction except for here. Many people who were RENTING were displaced or just sucked it up and lived on for a while with damage. We literally had crews/contractors from every corner of the country here trying to help. Most roads back into Wilmington were inaccessible or blocked off by officials, trees, or water. Moving forward to Dorian, people were extremely hesitant to leave because of their experience with Florence. This can all be found on YouTube. TBH you just need to do your recon, be well prepared, and always have continuous plans that back each other up and you'll be fine as wine .
If you intend to rent an apartment, you shouldn't have a problem as they are behind build daily all over; even in backyards LOL. Housing flies quick so you'll wanna stay on top of it and maintain communication well with who ever your contact is.
All that aside, I think visiting to experience bother weekdays and a weekend during the summer is a great start. You should be able to get an idea whether or not it will work for you.
Wilmington had very little flooding issues during Florence, the areas of Pender County to the north that are riverside saw a ton of flooding. New Hanover Co on the north end in the unincorporated areas saw some. The City of Wilmington has drainage requirements and a storm water fee that has done wonders over 25 years or so of projects. Lots of retention ponds in Wilmington, a la Florida...The storm had more impact on historic structures and where trees fell...especially after the ground was saturated. But Wilmington is used to hurricanes and does surprisingly well...even the beach communities rebound quickly from them.
In terms of small townish...I would agree with that 20 years ago, but with the development that has occurred in the Northern downtown area, the construction of the I-140 interstate and the continued rapid growth of Wilmington suburbs in Hampstead and Leland, Wilmington is no longer a small town. It is a regional hub and it serves as its cultural center. The region is 300K strong and growing and is more like 500K strong in the summer months when the beach communities/hotels, etc... are full. Road infrastructure at the local level has a ways to go to catch up...College Rd hasnt been touched for decades and has a slew of construction on the horizon. The Hampstead bypass (Leland bypass was just finished) is set to start construction, the interchange with I-140 is already under construction.
I would check out the areas near the Pointe at Barclay based on your list. River Lights is a huge neighborhood under construction and established areas like Pine Valley and Echo Farms are seeing all kinds of surrounding development. Its an area of town that is easy access to downtown, easy access to the Mall, plenty of grocery options and easy access to Lowes/Home Depot, etc...in Monkey Junction. Prices are creeping close to and over 300K in that area. Halyburton Park is a really nice getaway spot with lots of natural trails.
According to the news reports, Wilmington proper received over 24" of rain during Florence, and flooding was indeed a problem. Other surrounding areas received more (some 36") but the entire area was really affected; I-40 looked literally like a river. Hopefully this will not be the new norm, but again I refer you to Dr. Orrin Pilkey of Duke University and see what his opinions are on this subject.
One concern is that rising sea levels threaten the barrier islands and towns like Wrightsville Beach ( not if but when) and that will have a negative effect on the tourism economy throughout the entire region.
According to the news reports, Wilmington proper received over 24" of rain during Florence, and flooding was indeed a problem. Other surrounding areas received more (some 36") but the entire area was really affected; I-40 looked literally like a river. Hopefully this will not be the new norm, but again I refer you to Dr. Orrin Pilkey of Duke University and see what his opinions are on this subject.
One concern is that rising sea levels threaten the barrier islands and towns like Wrightsville Beach ( not if but when) and that will have a negative effect on the tourism economy throughout the entire region.
I was actually out riding around in my Jeep, pre to post Florence. All the islands were blocked off due to flooding. All the sand we paid for was washed away. From what I was told by a doctor client of mine that lived downtown, it was also flooded and more easily accessible from a boat . Aside from that, I remember there being blue tarps on every few roofs all over the place for 8 months or more. Some coastal cities are just plain better equipped to handle these kinds of storms, but I don't think Wilmington is one of them..
OP, I imagine there are quite a bit of highways that run through and around Portland. Here it's a few roads with traffic lights and they are mostly two lanes. The highway pretty much goes around Wilmington into the country.
Yes, I would imagine so as well, and in fact, having been to Portland I can confirm that it is so; but given that Portland has a population of 650,000 (versus 125,000 in Wilmington) I'd expect that to be the case.
Last edited by Edward Teach; 01-20-2020 at 06:19 PM..
Yes, I would imagine so as well, and in fact, having been to Portland I can confirm that it is so; but given that Portland has a population of 650,000 (versus 125,000 in Wilmington) I'd expect that to be the case.
In other words Wilmington is lacking in adequate roads / highways in and around the city, except for I-140. This is mainly due to Wilmington being an older historic city, where horses were used for transit in those days. This contributes to its charm, but not to mass evacuations during hurricanes.
In other words Wilmington is lacking in adequate roads / highways in and around the city, except for I-140. This is mainly due to Wilmington being an older historic city, where horses were used for transit in those days. This contributes to its charm, but not to mass evacuations during hurricanes.
I disagree. Highways include I-40, US 17, US 74/76 and US 421 (all 4 lanes, btw) which provide access and egress to the city.
Most of Wilmington's development has occurred in the post WW2, automobile era (and a whole lot of it has occurred in the past 20 years). The historic core of the city is very small, relative to the entire city. Major improvements to existing roads such as Eastwood Road, Carolina Beach Road and Military Cutoff extension, plus new roads like i-140 (finished) and the Hampstead bypass will greatly ease existing inter-city traffic issues.
Completed
*The Interstate 140 bypass was finished in December 2017. The route, designed to funnel through-traffic around Wilmington, runs north of the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and connects U.S. 17 to Interstate 40.
*A $3.8 million project to repave South College Road from Market Street to Wilshire Boulevard was completed this year.
*A $10.9 million project to widen and create turning lanes on a 9-mile stretch of Carolina Beach Road from Snow’s Cut Bridge to George Anderson Drive was completed last year.
Funded or under construction
*Construction of the $135 million, 4.1-mile Military Cutoff Road extension has begun. Plans call for a six-lane, divided roadway bisecting Ogden Park before squeezing between neighborhoods. Interchanges are to be built at Market Street and the U.S. 17 Wilmington Bypass, and a multi-use path also has been proposed.
*The $270 million Hampstead Bypass, which saw two major projects for Hampstead along U.S. 17 combined into one, has been funded and construction is expected to begin in 2020.
*The $155 million Independence Boulevard extension has been funded, but officials have yet to finalize its path. Construction is expected to begin in 2025, according to the DOT.
*A $101 million project to widen and improve access management and travel times on South College Road from Carolina Beach Road to New Centre Drive is partially funded and construction is expected to begin in 2024.
*A $56 million project to rebuild the intersection at South College Road and Oleander Drive -- Wilmington’s busiest and most congested intersection -- has been funded, with construction expected to begin in 2024. Several other intersections, including South College Road and Carolina Beach Road and Eastwood Road and Military Cutoff Road, are also funded with construction beginning in the coming years.
*A $2 million project to improve pedestrian access and safety on Carolina Beach Road from Monkey Junction to just north of Walmart.
Last edited by Edward Teach; 01-21-2020 at 06:42 AM..
I was actually out riding around in my Jeep, pre to post Florence. All the islands were blocked off due to flooding. All the sand we paid for was washed away. From what I was told by a doctor client of mine that lived downtown, it was also flooded and more easily accessible from a boat . Aside from that, I remember there being blue tarps on every few roofs all over the place for 8 months or more. Some coastal cities are just plain better equipped to handle these kinds of storms, but I don't think Wilmington is one of them..
The CITY of Wilmington didnt have the flood issues. The beach communities are on barrier islands. The river running north of the COUNTY line had some issues, but that is well outside the city. I-40 as mentioned as a river was in an entirely different county.
Lots of posters like to paint with a broad brush to support their opinion, rather than stick to just the facts. Fact is half of the population of New Hanover County lives outside of the city limits and are therefore not under any sort of storm water drainage control. That reared its ugly head...old adage, you get what you pay for. The county is now looking at enacting a storm water fee for the unincorporated areas. Pender Co (where the river runs through) is buying out a bunch of homes.
I disagree. Highways include I-40, US 17, US 74/76 and US 421 (all 4 lanes, btw) which provide access and egress to the city.
Most of Wilmington's development has occurred in the post WW2, automobile era (and a whole lot of it has occurred in the past 20 years). The historic core of the city is very small, relative to the entire city. Major improvements to existing roads such as Eastwood Road, Carolina Beach Road and Military Cutoff extension, plus new roads like i-140 (finished) and the Hampstead bypass will greatly ease existing inter-city traffic issues.
Completed
*The Interstate 140 bypass was finished in December 2017. The route, designed to funnel through-traffic around Wilmington, runs north of the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and connects U.S. 17 to Interstate 40.
*A $3.8 million project to repave South College Road from Market Street to Wilshire Boulevard was completed this year.
*A $10.9 million project to widen and create turning lanes on a 9-mile stretch of Carolina Beach Road from Snow’s Cut Bridge to George Anderson Drive was completed last year.
Funded or under construction
*Construction of the $135 million, 4.1-mile Military Cutoff Road extension has begun. Plans call for a six-lane, divided roadway bisecting Ogden Park before squeezing between neighborhoods. Interchanges are to be built at Market Street and the U.S. 17 Wilmington Bypass, and a multi-use path also has been proposed.
*The $270 million Hampstead Bypass, which saw two major projects for Hampstead along U.S. 17 combined into one, has been funded and construction is expected to begin in 2020.
*The $155 million Independence Boulevard extension has been funded, but officials have yet to finalize its path. Construction is expected to begin in 2025, according to the DOT.
*A $101 million project to widen and improve access management and travel times on South College Road from Carolina Beach Road to New Centre Drive is partially funded and construction is expected to begin in 2024.
*A $56 million project to rebuild the intersection at South College Road and Oleander Drive -- Wilmington’s busiest and most congested intersection -- has been funded, with construction expected to begin in 2024. Several other intersections, including South College Road and Carolina Beach Road and Eastwood Road and Military Cutoff Road, are also funded with construction beginning in the coming years.
*A $2 million project to improve pedestrian access and safety on Carolina Beach Road from Monkey Junction to just north of Walmart.
Except for I-140, which is nice, Wilmington has some of the most confusing network of roads that I've ever driven on, which is odd given that they were designed after the invention of the automobile, as you mention. This, coupled with sometimes haphazard planning and development makes for difficult driving in some sections of the city. This is my opinion.
The CITY of Wilmington didnt have the flood issues. The beach communities are on barrier islands. The river running north of the COUNTY line had some issues, but that is well outside the city. I-40 as mentioned as a river was in an entirely different county.
Lots of posters like to paint with a broad brush to support their opinion, rather than stick to just the facts. Fact is half of the population of New Hanover County lives outside of the city limits and are therefore not under any sort of storm water drainage control. That reared its ugly head...old adage, you get what you pay for. The county is now looking at enacting a storm water fee for the unincorporated areas. Pender Co (where the river runs through) is buying out a bunch of homes.
This is splitting hairs. The city of Wilmington was literally cut off from the outside world for several days due to widespread flooding in and around the city. Plus, downed trees, no power etc. I have elderly relatives who live in Forest Hills, and they had to evacuate for nearly a week before they could return to their home. The point is that what happens to adjacent areas can completely effect Wilmington as well.
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