# Hurricane Florence
**Hurricane Florence** was a long-lived [Atlantic hurricane](https://www.edgepedia.org/atlantic-hurricane) that struck the Carolinas in September 2018, the first major hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic season. It peaked as a Category 4 storm with 140 mph (220 km/h) winds, then weakened before making landfall near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, on September 14 as a Category 1 hurricane. Its slow forward motion over land, at times 2 to 3 miles per hour, produced record rainfall and historic river flooding across eastern North Carolina and northeastern [South Carolina](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-carolina), with damages estimated at about $24 billion and at least 51 deaths.[1](https://www.weather.gov/ilm/hurricaneflorence) • [2](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-201812) • [3](https://www.weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/Hurricanes_Florence_Michael4-20.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Season position | Sixth named storm, third hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season[4](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=787016) |
| Peak intensity | Category 4, 140 mph (220 km/h) sustained winds, minimum central pressure 946 mb, on September 10–11, 2018[5](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2018/al06/al062018.public.051.shtml) |
| Landfall | Category 1, about 90 mph, at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, morning of September 14, 2018[1](https://www.weather.gov/ilm/hurricaneflorence) |
| Rainfall record | 35.93 inches at Elizabethtown, North Carolina; 23.63 inches at Loris, South Carolina, a state tropical cyclone record[6](https://www.usgs.gov/news/hurricane-florence-preliminary-peak-stage-and-streamflow-data-report) |
| Damage and deaths | About $24 billion in damages; 22 direct fatalities by NWS criteria, at least 51 total deaths[3](https://www.weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/Hurricanes_Florence_Michael4-20.pdf) • [2](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-201812) |
| Storm surge | 8 to 11 ft above ground along the Neuse River and tributaries; storm tide of 10.08 ft NAVD88 recorded across the river from New Bern[7](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL062018_Florence.pdf) |
| Name retirement | "Florence" was retired from the Atlantic naming lists after 2018[8](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames_history.shtml) |
## Meteorological history
A strong tropical wave emerged off the west coast of Africa on August 30, 2018, and the [National Hurricane Center](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-hurricane-center) designated it Potential Tropical Cyclone Six about 100 miles offshore, issuing advisories when the disturbance was centered about 370 nautical miles east-southeast of the southernmost Cabo Verde Islands; the island government issued a Tropical Storm Warning for Santiago, Fogo, and Brava.[9](https://dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/Publications/HurricaneFlorenceSynoptic.pdf) • [7](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL062018_Florence.pdf) A tropical depression formed on August 31 southwest of the [Cape Verde](https://www.edgepedia.org/cape-verde) islands, and the system became Tropical Storm Florence early on September 1.[1](https://www.weather.gov/ilm/hurricaneflorence)
Florence's life cycle featured two rounds of rapid intensification separated by an unexpected weakening. Moving northwestward across the open Atlantic, it became a hurricane and then a major hurricane, with winds peaking at 130 mph on September 5 over very warm mid-Atlantic waters despite nearby vertical shear.[1](https://www.weather.gov/ilm/hurricaneflorence) • [9](https://dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/Publications/HurricaneFlorenceSynoptic.pdf) Increasing southwesterly shear disrupted the storm, and Florence weakened to a 60 mph tropical storm on September 7 over the central Atlantic.[1](https://www.weather.gov/ilm/hurricaneflorence)
On September 9, over sea surface temperatures above 84 degrees with negligible upper-level shear, Florence regained hurricane strength about 750 miles southeast of Bermuda and strengthened rapidly to 140 mph by the afternoon of September 10; reconnaissance aircraft showed the hurricane-force wind field doubling in size in 12 hours.[1](https://www.weather.gov/ilm/hurricaneflorence) • [9](https://dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/Publications/HurricaneFlorenceSynoptic.pdf) On September 11, when the storm was centered about 28.4N 68.7W, 670 miles east-southeast of Cape Fear, hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 60 miles and tropical-storm-force winds up to 175 miles, and an Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft measured a minimum central pressure of 946 mb.[5](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2018/al06/al062018.public.051.shtml)
Weakening then set in well before landfall. Structural changes to the eyewall on September 12, including an [eyewall replacement cycle](https://www.edgepedia.org/eyewall-replacement-cycle) and southerly shear, lowered the intensity to 130 mph, then 105 mph late on September 12.[9](https://dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/Publications/HurricaneFlorenceSynoptic.pdf) Dry air entrainment and cooler, upwelled shelf waters off the North Carolina coast further reduced the storm; on September 13 Florence slowed to 6 mph and turned westward, and NHC downgraded it to 85 knots (97 mph) on the 5 p.m. advisory.[9](https://dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/Publications/HurricaneFlorenceSynoptic.pdf) This abrupt reduction from Category 4 to Category 1 just before landfall became a defining feature of the storm for later modeling studies.[10](https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/60115)
## Landfall and hazards
Florence made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, shortly after dawn on September 14, 2018, with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph; the eye crossed Wrightsville Beach at 7:15 a.m.[1](https://www.weather.gov/ilm/hurricaneflorence) • [6](https://www.usgs.gov/news/hurricane-florence-preliminary-peak-stage-and-streamflow-data-report) Once over land, forward motion slowed to about 2 to 3 miles per hour, and the storm spent the next two days producing record rainfall across eastern North Carolina and a portion of northeastern South Carolina.[6](https://www.usgs.gov/news/hurricane-florence-preliminary-peak-stage-and-streamflow-data-report)
**Wind and surge.** Wind gusts over 100 mph caused significant damage to buildings, trees, and electrical service across the Cape Fear area; the peak gust at Wilmington's airport was 105 mph, with a lowest pressure of 965.5 mb.[1](https://www.weather.gov/ilm/hurricaneflorence) A storm surge of over four feet eroded beaches between Cape Fear and [Cape Lookout](https://www.edgepedia.org/cape-lookout).[1](https://www.weather.gov/ilm/hurricaneflorence) The NHC's post-storm report estimated maximum surge inundation of 8 to 11 ft above ground along the shores of the [Neuse River](https://www.edgepedia.org/neuse-river) and its tributaries, where easterly winds raised water levels on the western side of [Pamlico Sound](https://www.edgepedia.org/pamlico-sound) and backed up the river's normal flow; a USGS sensor across the Neuse River from downtown New Bern recorded a storm tide of 10.08 ft above NAVD88, and post-storm simulation placed the highest inundation, up to 11 ft above ground, just upstream of downtown New Bern.[7](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL062018_Florence.pdf)
**Rainfall and flooding.** Before landfall, NHC advisories forecast total rainfall of 15 to 25 inches with isolated maxima of 35 inches over the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic states, warning of catastrophic flash flooding and significant river flooding.[5](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2018/al06/al062018.public.051.shtml) The verified totals set records: 35.93 inches at Elizabethtown, North Carolina, exceeding the previous state tropical-system record of 24.06 inches set at [Southport](https://www.edgepedia.org/southport) during [Hurricane Floyd](https://www.edgepedia.org/hurricane-floyd) in 1999, and 23.63 inches at Loris, South Carolina, replacing the 17.45 inches associated with Tropical Storm Beryl in 1994.[6](https://www.usgs.gov/news/hurricane-florence-preliminary-peak-stage-and-streamflow-data-report) Record river flooding developed along the Cape Fear, Northeast Cape Fear, Lumber, and Waccamaw Rivers, and a USGS report indicated nine river gauges recorded floods exceeding their 1-in-500-year expected return intervals.[1](https://www.weather.gov/ilm/hurricaneflorence) Dozens of tornado touchdowns within the rain bands were confirmed by NWS Storm Survey crews.[1](https://www.weather.gov/ilm/hurricaneflorence)
## Damage and fatalities
The NWS service assessment estimated damages from Florence at $24.2 billion and counted 22 direct fatalities under the Storm Data criteria effective July 16, 2018; riverine flooding, not wind, was the major cause of damage and loss of life.[3](https://www.weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/Hurricanes_Florence_Michael4-20.pdf) NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information placed the damage at $24 billion and attributed at least 51 deaths to the storm across the Carolinas and Virginia, ranking Florence among the deadliest and costliest hurricanes to affect the Carolinas.[2](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-201812) A signed NWS report notes that 16 of the direct fatalities were associated with vehicles caught in floodwaters.[11](https://verification.nws.noaa.gov/images/Sats2_uploadCollections/SignedReport/sa1161SignedReport.pdf)
State figures reflect the flooding's reach. North Carolina reported 42 fatalities, preliminary damage of $16.7 billion, about 74,563 flooded structures, and 5,214 people rescued; nearly 140,000 residents registered for disaster assistance. South Carolina reported 9 fatalities, $607 million in damage, 455,000 people evacuated, and 11 dams breached or failed.[1](https://www.weather.gov/ilm/hurricaneflorence) In eastern North Carolina, insured damages were $366 million (2018 dollars) with an estimated $1.77 billion in combined uninsured damages and property value losses.[12](https://sciencecouncil.noaa.gov/noaa-by-the-numbers/hurricanes/) Flooding also submerged hog lagoons in North Carolina, the state with the second-most pigs in the United States, raising environmental and health concerns.[13](https://www.axios.com/2018/09/21/go-deeper-how-hurricane-florence-is-causing-agricultural-turmoil-1537473476)
## Forecast performance
Florence's track was forecast with unusual accuracy. The NHC 5-day track forecast issued at 11 p.m. on September 8 placed the storm's center just 2 miles off its eventual landfall point, against an average 5-day error of about 250 miles; two-thirds of the time the 5-day error is 198 nautical miles (227 miles).[14](https://www.axios.com/2018/09/14/forecasters-predicted-florences-path-within-2-miles) The Tropical Cyclone Report confirms that official track errors were much lower than the 5-year mean at all forecast times, more than 20 percent better at 12, 48, and 72 hours, and that cross-track errors near the landfall point at Wrightsville Beach were under 60 nautical miles for forecast cycles 6 to 72 hours before landfall.[7](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL062018_Florence.pdf) Intensity was harder: the statistical-climatological model OCD5 ran 20 to 30 percent above its 5-year average errors, indicating Florence was more difficult than normal to forecast in strength.[7](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL062018_Florence.pdf)
The rapid intensification and subsequent weakening created a communication problem. Emergency managers in the Carolinas told the assessment team that the public tied expected impacts to wind category alone, which worked against messaging on rainfall, surge, and flooding; the assessment concluded that riverine flooding, not wind, was the major cause of damage and loss of life.[3](https://www.weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/Hurricanes_Florence_Michael4-20.pdf)
## Research legacy
Florence became a test case for land-atmosphere interaction in landfalling storms. A 2023 study in *Geophysical Research Letters* led by [Zhi Li](https://www.edgepedia.org/zhi-li) of the [University of Oklahoma](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-oklahoma)'s School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science used CYGNSS and SMAP satellite soil moisture data with a numerical weather model to ask whether the Brown Ocean Effect, in which anomalously wet and warm soils can maintain or re-intensify a storm in a way similar to a warm ocean surface, operated for Florence; the study found soil temperature mediated the feedback, with colder soils even producing a negative correlation between wet antecedent soils and extreme rainfall rates.[15](https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023GL105102) A separate coupled atmosphere–ocean–wave modeling study by Joseph B. Zambon of NOAA and colleagues found that fully coupled simulations best reproduced the storm's intensity (correlation r = 0.89) and strength (r = 0.95), with more realistic ocean cooling beneath the storm modifying the precipitation field.[10](https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/60115)
## Retirement
At the annual meeting of the [World Meteorological Organization](https://www.edgepedia.org/world-meteorological-organization) committee that manages Atlantic storm names, the name Florence was stricken from the rotating six-year lists because of the storm's deadly and costly impacts, joining Michael, the other 2018 retiree, on the list of retired Atlantic hurricane names.[8](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames_history.shtml)
## References
1. [Hurricane Florence: September 14, 2018, National Weather Service Wilmington, NC](https://www.weather.gov/ilm/hurricaneflorence)
2. [Assessing the U.S. Climate in 2018, NOAA NCEI](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-201812)
3. [NWS Service Assessment: Hurricanes Florence and Michael (April 2020)](https://www.weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/Hurricanes_Florence_Michael4-20.pdf)
4. [Storm Events Database event details, NOAA NCEI](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=787016)
5. [Hurricane Florence Public Advisory 51, NHC, September 11, 2018](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2018/al06/al062018.public.051.shtml)
6. [Hurricane Florence Preliminary Peak Stage and Streamflow Data Report, USGS](https://www.usgs.gov/news/hurricane-florence-preliminary-peak-stage-and-streamflow-data-report)
7. [Tropical Cyclone Report AL062018 Hurricane Florence, NHC](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL062018_Florence.pdf)
8. [Retired Hurricane Names Since 1954, NHC](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames_history.shtml)
9. [Hurricane Florence Synoptic Analysis and Report, South Carolina State Climatology Office](https://dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/Publications/HurricaneFlorenceSynoptic.pdf)
10. [Zambon, He, Warner, and Hegermiller (2021). Impact of SST and Surface Waves on Hurricane Florence (2018). Weather and Forecasting 36(5), 1713–1734](https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/60115)
11. [Signed NWS service assessment report on Florence flooding fatalities](https://verification.nws.noaa.gov/images/Sats2_uploadCollections/SignedReport/sa1161SignedReport.pdf)
12. [Hurricanes and Tropical Storms, NOAA Science Council](https://sciencecouncil.noaa.gov/noaa-by-the-numbers/hurricanes/)
13. [How Hurricane Florence is causing agricultural turmoil, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2018/09/21/go-deeper-how-hurricane-florence-is-causing-agricultural-turmoil-1537473476)
14. [NOAA's Hurricane Florence forecast was insanely accurate, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2018/09/14/forecasters-predicted-florences-path-within-2-miles)
15. [Li et al. (2023). Studying Brown Ocean Re-Intensification of Hurricane Florence Using CYGNSS and SMAP Soil Moisture Data. Geophysical Research Letters 50, e2023GL105102](https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023GL105102)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Physical world and mathematics › Earth sciences › Climate and weather › Tropical cyclones › Named tropical cyclones › Named Atlantic hurricanes and tropical storms*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license