Impact
Hurricane Charley produced moderate to heavy rainfall over the state, peaking at 5.05 inches (128 mm) near Greenville; other rainfall amounts ranged from less than 1 inch (25 mm)–more than 4 inches (100 mm). The outer rainbands began affecting the region in the early hours of August 14. Due to widespread debris, storm drains became clogged which left flooding in some areas. Freshwater flooding was reported in seven counties along the coastal plain. State highways 42 and 581, as well as numerous county and local roads, were convered with at least 1 foot (0.30 m) of water. Wilmington and surrounding towns were forced to close a total of 20 streets. The heavy precipitation also caused the Neuse River to swell to flood stage. A few businesses throughout the region were damaged; two in downtown Greenville and five others were flooded.
The storm produced estimated storm surge of 2 feet (0.61 m) to 3 feet (0.91 m), along with waves of up to 8 feet (2.4 m) in height. However, there were isolated reports of 8 feet (2.4 m) surge, particularly along the beaches of Brunswick County. This produced minor beach erosion along the coastline. Winds gusted from 60–70 miles per hour (95–110 km/h), causing minor wind damage. The hurricane spawned five weak tornadoes across the state, including an F1 in Nags Head that damaged twenty structures. Charley destroyed 40 houses and damaged 2,231, 231 severely, including 221 damaged beach homes in Sunset Beach. Damage was the greatest in Brunswick County, where wind gusts peaked at 85 miles per hour (137 km/h). The winds blew down chimneys and damaged a roof on one building, and ripped the siding off another. Crop damage was also heavy in Brunswick County, with 50% of the tobacco crop lost and 30% of the corn and vegetable fields destroyed. Strong winds downed trees and power lines, leaving 65,000 homes without power. Damage in North Carolina totaled to $25 million (2004 USD).
Read more about this topic: Effects Of Hurricane Charley In North Carolina
Famous quotes containing the word impact:
“If the federal government had been around when the Creator was putting His hand to this state, Indiana wouldn’t be here. It’d still be waiting for an environmental impact statement.”
—Ronald Reagan (b. 1911)
“Television does not dominate or insist, as movies do. It is not sensational, but taken for granted. Insistence would destroy it, for its message is so dire that it relies on being the background drone that counters silence. For most of us, it is something turned on and off as we would the light. It is a service, not a luxury or a thing of choice.”
—David Thomson, U.S. film historian. America in the Dark: The Impact of Hollywood Films on American Culture, ch. 8, William Morrow (1977)
“The question confronting the Church today is not any longer whether the man in the street can grasp a religious message, but how to employ the communications media so as to let him have the full impact of the Gospel message.”
—Pope John Paul II (b. 1920)