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<br />
<br />During most of 1999 prior to
<br />September, almost the entire State
<br />of North Carolina was in a drought
<br />condition. The rainfall deficit (based
<br />on 1960-90 monthly averages) for
<br />the 12 months preceding September
<br />1999 was
<br />
<br />9.31 inches at Asheville,
<br />10.41 inches at Charlotte,
<br />5.27 inches at Greensboro,
<br />6.39 inches at Raleigh,
<br />13.0 inehes at Kinston, and
<br />2.75 inches at Wilmington
<br />
<br />(National Climatic Data Center
<br />1998, 1999; State Climate Office of
<br />North Carolina, 1999b). As a result,
<br />some restrictions on water use had
<br />been implemented at numerous
<br />locations around the State,
<br />Hurricanes Dennis, Floyd, and
<br />Irene occurred within a 6-week
<br />period between September 4 and
<br />October 17, 1999. All three storms
<br />brought extremely heavy and, in
<br />some cases, unprecedented rainfall to
<br />eastern North Carolina, Rocky
<br />Mount, located in the central part of
<br />the Tar-Pamlico Basin, received
<br />37.72 inches of rain during
<br />September-October, or about
<br />85 percent of the average annual
<br />rainfall for that location (table I),
<br />Kinston, in the Neuse River Basin,
<br />received 29.48 inches of rain during
<br />the same period, and more than half
<br />of the average annual rainfall fell
<br />during September alone, Most
<br />reporting stations in the central and
<br />western Coastal Plain received at
<br />least half the average annual rainfall
<br />during September-October (table 1).
<br />
<br />Table 1. Rainfall amounts, in inches, associated with Hurricanes Dennis, Floyd, and
<br />Irene, September-October 1999; Hurricane Fran, September 1996; and annual average
<br />(1960-90) rainfall at selected locations in North Carolina
<br />
<br />[est.. estimated values; -, no data; range of values indicates more than one reponing station; >, greater than.
<br />Rainfall data are from the State Climate Office of North Carolina al North Carolina Slate University (1999b)
<br />and National Climatic- Data Center (1996a)]
<br />
<br /> Hurricane Hurricane Hurricane Sept. 4-6.
<br />Location Dennis Flo)'d Irene Sept.--Oct. 1996 Annual
<br />(fig. 3) (Sept. 3--7. (Sept. 14-17, (Oct. 17- 1999 total (Hurri~ average
<br /> 1999) 1999) 18.1999) cane rainfall
<br /> Fran)
<br />
<br />-
<br />
<br />_ _ _ . _ _ ~_n-."'-' "
<br />
<br />Oxford
<br />Louisburg
<br />R<?cky Mount
<br />-~=d
<br />Greenville
<br />.Washington
<br />
<br />~
<br />
<br />6,07
<br />5.59
<br />5,06-7.59
<br />7~O]
<br />7.03
<br />7.60-
<br />
<br />5,67
<br />8,88
<br />~- -
<br />14,07-18,00
<br />11.84
<br />12,63
<br />10,73
<br />
<br />~
<br />
<br />1.94
<br />
<br />20,15
<br />M.3'-
<br />-
<br />37.72
<br />32,32
<br />30.20
<br />31.05
<br />
<br />~
<br />
<br />7.30
<br />6.36
<br />5,17
<br />4,38-
<br />6,17
<br />~
<br />4,61
<br />
<br />43 (est.)
<br />41-! -J:.
<br />44.24
<br />44.54 :
<br />49,00
<br />11146.%-
<br />
<br />-~-- ...--
<br />illi-=='lJn,.~]
<br />~~_ __"_.__.~ ^ ^ J:
<br />
<br />Durham
<br />~_.
<br />Ralelg'i.,
<br />Clayton
<br />GoldstxlfO
<br />-
<br />Wilson
<br />.....
<br />.~nston
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />5,98
<br />~
<br />6,55
<br />9,80
<br />12,06-12,70
<br />-...
<br />10,73
<br />13.35-13,98
<br />5.51
<br />14,98
<br />
<br />0,91
<br />~ ......"'..
<br />1.50
<br />.-
<br />2.59
<br />~...
<br />4.36
<br />5.07
<br />5"!7"-
<br />6.39
<br />
<br />2.01
<br />- -
<br />5.16
<br />430
<br />3,29
<br />5,07
<br />
<br />-
<br />
<br />18,60
<br />
<br />8.38
<br />8,80
<br />6,98
<br />6,41
<br />4,27
<br />
<br />
<br />48,10
<br />~41.4r~._
<br />45.11'
<br />~49l7-=.1
<br />46,96
<br />51.% 1
<br />53,11
<br />8.33 5:2.2i-1
<br />-=:jjll j~
<br />7,81 46,02
<br />iIII _
<br />6,59 ~W
<br />3,75 46,72
<br />_ lJ.6 : ~~s\J I
<br />9.38 53,04
<br />.. >28.00b"' 8.01 .. 46.78""~"
<br />""" .._ III.
<br />27.]0 5.23 54.27
<br />
<br />0,59
<br />
<br />4,67
<br />7.65
<br />--
<br />7.23
<br />- IIli iI.50
<br />13.23
<br />->T'4.19b
<br />..-..
<br />
<br />-
<br />
<br />19,06
<br />
<br />0,84
<br />-4:14
<br />
<br />4.19
<br />4,33
<br />---
<br />
<br />>6.69bO~
<br />2,7)
<br />
<br />-
<br />24.24
<br />
<br />20,98
<br />~
<br />32,10
<br />31.05
<br />29,4;1
<br />19,82
<br />
<br />>24.60'1
<br />
<br />~
<br />5.15
<br />-- -
<br />
<br />Lumberton
<br />~Whi[evi~
<br />
<br />1.34
<br />1.52
<br />
<br />_ ~~~.~~LL.
<br />
<br />46,54
<br />~ -
<br />48,73
<br />
<br />9,82
<br />16,76
<br />
<br />5,48
<br />- -
<br />5,97
<br />
<br />24.16
<br />j4,27
<br />
<br />5,89
<br />7.S(illll
<br />
<br />_ (t}I'::~Jrf;:=j----- - _,~ _~ ~ ... : .......- .
<br />
<br />Lewiston 3.56
<br />'"\\'illiamston 7.20
<br />- - -...---
<br />Edenton 5.07
<br />LEiizabelh Citv --7.68" ..
<br />__ .t_............
<br />Plymouth 5.03
<br />r;ehead Ci~ -'U2-
<br />Hoffman Forest 6.49
<br />
<br />9,73
<br />16.2~
<br />6,18
<br />,~
<br />2,64
<br />7,37
<br />4.33
<br />9,78
<br />
<br />3.47
<br />... 52':
<br />6,12
<br />5:0'6
<br />
<br />-
<br />
<br />IlOctober rainfall records are unavailable.
<br />bpartial record; some missing values for the period.
<br />
<br />-
<br />
<br />19.55
<br />j5.55
<br />23,59
<br />- ..
<br />]7.73_
<br />>]5.15a
<br />>11.2(a
<br />>]9.58a
<br />
<br />3,95
<br />8,07
<br />-
<br />2.15
<br />,!.44
<br />4,13
<br />>Hf9lb
<br />-~
<br />13.27
<br />
<br />46,82
<br />.~48-:0r: ~.
<br />48.54"'" .
<br />:-~-;
<br />51.06
<br />~5~OY'J
<br />__ ..:X
<br />55,60
<br />
<br />Two l'...tonths of F]ooding in Eastern North Carolina, September-October 1999
<br />
<br />~
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