Impact and Aftermath
With Category 4 winds of 135 mph, Diana threatened to become the most intense hurricane to strike North Carolina since Hurricane Hazel in 1954. However, it looped and weakened just offshore and made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane. Because of this, Diana only caused $65.5 million in damage (1984 USD) due to heavy flooding from up to 19 inches (480 mm) of rain, tree damage, and downed power lines. Most of the damage was experienced between Wilmington, North Carolina and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Carolina Power and Light Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant recorded winds of over 75 mph, making Hurricane Diana the first hurricane to bring hurricane force winds to a nuclear power plant. Some yard damage was seen, but the plant was mostly unaffected.
Three indirect deaths were reported from Diana. One person died from a heart attack while making hurricane preparations, and the other two were from automobile accidents. Following the storm, President Ronald Reagan declared five North Carolina counties as a federal disaster area, allowing the affected regions to receive government funds and assistance. Funds were also allocated for the repairing of roads and sewers.
Read more about this topic: Hurricane Diana (1984)
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