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<br />
<br />24-hour rainfall was almost double
<br />the statistically derived 100-year
<br />rainfall. Consequently, from a
<br />statistical perspective the rainfall
<br />associated with Hurricane Floyd was
<br />extremely unusual with a very low
<br />probability of occurrence.
<br />
<br />August-September
<br />1955 Rainfall and
<br />September-October
<br />1999 Rainfall
<br />
<br />The 1999 hurrieane sea-
<br />son in North Carolina has
<br />been compared with the
<br />1955 season, when three
<br />hurricanes made landfall in
<br />the State during a 5-week
<br />period between August 12
<br />and September 19 (figs, I,
<br />5), Rainfall amounts during
<br />August-September 1955
<br />(National Climatic Data
<br />Center, 1955a,b) were, for
<br />some locations, greater
<br />than rainfall amounts
<br />during September-October
<br />1999, For example,
<br />Maysville, which is located
<br />
<br />-
<br />
<br />~
<br />~
<br />w
<br />~
<br />
<br />~ '. ,.
<br />\k' w..,;
<br />
<br />-Ii
<br />
<br />Road damage from flooding in Greenville, N.C.
<br />
<br />in Onslow County near the current
<br />raingage at Hoffman Forest (fig. 3),
<br />received 50.26 inches during
<br />August-September 1955, Kinston
<br />(fig. 3) received 29.89 inches during
<br />the same period, or about the same
<br />amount of rainfall as during
<br />
<br />"', 75'
<br /> ., '.
<br /> I -
<br />40' .^
<br />;
<br />;....:
<br />r
<br />/ VIRGINIA
<br />
<br />ii
<br />\..-.---;-
<br />350t :.....
<br />\
<br />
<br />/
<br />
<br />
<br />t
<br />./.'
<br />/,<{,.../,,-'HurricaneDiane-
<br />l.gusl11.,_,'
<br />
<br />--'
<br />
<br />-----
<br />
<br />...;-.--
<br />
<br />.-- ,
<br />"
<br />
<br />~.
<br />'.'
<br />
<br />.---~_. '^
<br />~
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />SOUTH
<br />CAROLINA
<br />
<br />'.
<br />
<br />'.
<br />
<br />Figure 5. Generalized tracks of Hurricanes Connie,
<br />Diane, and lone, August-September 1955,
<br />
<br />,a.~
<br />
<br />",.. , . J
<br />.;:\. . ~~..;:..,.,~,
<br />.~1 _ . - _~): ;;;,):n;~:._. ",'_ ~_{~
<br />L ,... . ,...:. ,~c.: ;.~~;:, i\.
<br />....... ..~ -..,,''t'....~_ -', ....:.:::;,:;~~-'l ,_
<br />
<br />Two Months of Flooding in Eastern North Carolina. September-October 1999
<br />
<br />,-":,,,.,
<br />
<br />September-October 1999. Mays-
<br />ville, Morehead City, Oriental, and
<br />New Bern all reported monthly rain-
<br />fall in excess of 20 inches for both
<br />August and September 1955.
<br />For most of eastern North
<br />Carolina, however, monthly rainfall
<br />was generally much greater in
<br />September 1999 than in
<br />August I 955-both months
<br />during which two hurricanes
<br />made landfall in North
<br />Carolina (fig, 6), Rainfall
<br />throughout most of the T ar-
<br />Pamlico River Basin was two
<br />to three times greater in
<br />September 1999 than in
<br />August 1955 (fig. 6). Like-
<br />wise, rainfall in the upper and
<br />middle Neuse River Basin was
<br />almost two times greater in
<br />September 1999 than in
<br />August 1955 (fig. 6), Only in
<br />the extreme eastern part of the
<br />State did August 1955 rainfall
<br />exceed September 1999 rain-
<br />fall. The heaviest rainfall was
<br />more widespread in September
<br />1999 than in August 1955,
<br />and fell over parts of the river
<br />basins that are more suscepti-
<br />ble to flooding.
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Pine Knoll Shores, :-J.e.
<br />
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