Flippers receive Hurricane Floyd

 

 

             Hurricane Floyd, an historical perspective of what occurred around 0400 EST, 16 September 1999.

             Hurricane Floyd pounded Eastern North Carolina bringing plenty of rain and high winds. The rain induced flooding, while the wind knocked out power. Because of the potential threat of great damage to the helicopters, the Flippers packed up everything that was flyable and left town. Some of the aircraft went to Asheville, some to Bristol, Tennessee, while the rest of the birds took up roost in the hangars. Below is an Infra Red image of the hurricane taken by GOES 8. To obtain local time (EST), subtract 4 hours from the time shown on the images and weather reports.

 

 

         
Satellite view of Hurricane Floyd.

 

             Hurricane Floyd swept ashore near Cape Fear early Thursday morning, pounding the North Carolina coast with 110-mph winds and an 11-foot wall of water. Floyd struck the shore about 25 miles south of Wilmington, North Carolina, where the storm already had dumped more than 14 inches of rain. At 5 a.m., Floyd remained a Category 2 hurricane as it moved north-northeast at 20 mph, and forecasters expected it to pick up speed as the day progressed.

 

 

          A close up view

 

 

         
Satellite view of Hurricane Floyd.

 

             Top winds slipped from 115 mph to 100 early Thursday, dropping it from a Category 3 to a Category 2 storm. Floyd knocked out power to more than 400,000 homes, flooding streets with waist-high water and spawning 6 tornadoes that destroyed at least ten homes and a church in a region slapped by Hurricane Dennis just weeks ago. Hurricane-force winds extended more than 115 miles from the eye as Floyd moved inland after driving more than 2.5 million people from the East Coast. A portion of Interstate 95 in northern North Carolina was closed due to flooding. Low lying secondary roads were flooded. Emergency officials advised everyone to stay home. 4 unconfirmed deaths are attributed to driving vehicles on the flooded roads.

 

 

          An animated look at Floyd

 

 

         
Animated Radar loop of Hurricane Floyd.

 

             Before it hit shore, Floyd had been blamed for two deaths in North Carolina and one in the Bahamas. Two twisters damaged homes and churches, but no injuries were reported. One hit a shelter -- 'empty, thank goodness,' said North Carolina Emergency Management spokesman Mark Van Sciver. Rough seas destroyed a pier at Long Beach, 40 miles south of Wilmington. The same part of the coast had been hit by hurricanes ranging from Hugo, in 1989, to Fran in 1996 and most recently, Dennis. Many residents had cleared out ahead of Floyd's arrival.

 

 

             Below:  A look at Floyd on Radar as the hurricane came ashore. The three letters 'FAY' mark the location of Fayetteville, North Carolina. Fort Bragg is situated a few miles north of that city.

 

 

         
A local Radar view of Hurricane Floyd as it came ashore in North carolina.

 

 

          Weather Reports during the Storm

 

 

          
KFBG - Fort Bragg / Simmons Army Airfield, North Carolina.

KFBG 151955Z 02011G18KT 1 1/4SM -RA BR SCT007 BKN012 OVC030 22/21 A2972 RMK SLP062 8/5// 9/8// WR//=
KFBG 152055Z 01012G20KT 1 1/4SM RA BR SCT007 BKN012 OVC030 22/20 A2968 RMK SLP048 60080 8/5// 9/8// 58041 WR//=
KFBG 152155Z 01016G24KT 1 1/4SM RA BR SCT007 BKN015 OVC030 21/20 A2966 RMK SLP042 8/5// 9/8// WR//=
KFBG 152155Z 01016G24KT 1 1/4SM RA BR SCT007 BKN015 OVC030 21/20 A2966 RMK PK WND 03026/22 SLP042 8/5// 9/8// WR//=
KFBG 152241Z 01016G27KT 7/8SM RA BR SCT004 BKN009 OVC030 21/20 A2962=
KFBG 152255Z 01015G30KT 7/8SM +RA BR SCT004 BKN009 OVC030 21/19 A2961 RMK SLP024 8/5// 9/8// WR//=
KFBG 152355Z 36019G29KT 7/8SM +RA BR SCT004 BKN009 OVC030 20/19 A2958 RMK PK WND 01032/56 SLP014 60230 8/5// 9/8// 58034 WR//=
KFBG 160049Z 02017G29KT 2SM +RA BR SCT004 BKN012 OVC030 20/18 A2956=
KFBG 160055Z 01014G29KT 2SM +RA BR SCT004 BKN012 OVC030 20/18 A2956 RMK SLP008 8/5// 9/8// WR//=
KFBG 160155Z 01022G27KT 2SM RA BR SCT004 BKN010 OVC030 20/18 A2954 RMK PK WND 02030/39 SLP001 8/5// 9/8// WR//=
KFBG 160255Z 02015G30KT 2 1/2SM RA BR SCT004 BKN010 OVC030 20/18 A2951 RMK PK WND 35034/17 SLP991 60138 8/5// 9/8// 58024 WR//=
KFBG 160355Z 01021G30KT 2SM RA BR SCT004 OVC010 19/18 A2948 RMK PK WND 01033/23 SLP980 8/5// 9/8// WR//=
KFBG 160445Z 36018G35KT 4SM RA BR SCT002 SCT004 OVC010 19/17 A2943=
KFBG 160455Z 36020G35KT 4SM RA BR SCT002 SCT004 OVC010 19/17 A2943 RMK PK WND 01036/49 8/5// 9/8// WR//=
KFBG 160555Z 01023G37KT 2SM -RA BR SCT002 SCT004 OVC010 19/18 A2935 RMK PK WND35038/27 PRESFR SLPNO 60208 8/5// 9/8// 58062 WR//=
KFBG 160555Z 01023G37KT 2SM -RA BR SCT002 SCT004 OVC010 19/18 A2935 RMK PK WND35038/27 PRESFR SLPNO 60208 8/5// 9/8// 58062 WR //=
KFBG 160655Z 01019G36KT 2SM SHRA BR SCT002 SCT004 OVC010 19/18 A2932 RMK PK WND 01039/17 SLP928 8/5// 9/8// WR//=
KFBG 160756Z 36023G39KT 2SM SHRA BR SCT002 SCT004 OVC010 19/18 A2929 RMK SLP915 8/5// 9/8// WR//=
KFBG 160855Z 35020G33KT 2SM SHRA BR SCT002 SCT004 OVC010 19/17 A2928 RMK PK WND 35042/13 SLP194 60153 8/5// 9/8// 56024 WR//=
KFBG 160955Z 35019G27KT 2SM SHRA BR SCT002 SCT004 OVC010 19/17 A2929 RMK PK WND 36034/59 SLP195 8/5// 9/8// WR//=
KFBG 161055Z 36019G33KT 2SM SHRA BR SCT002 SCT004 OVC010 19/17 A2929 RMK PK WND 35033/48 SLP917 8/5// 9/8// WR//=
KFBG 161055Z 36019G33KT 2SM RA BR SCT002 SCT004 OVC010 19/17 A2929 RMK PK WND 35033/48 SLP917 8/5// 9/8// WR//=
KFBG 161116Z 35021G28KT 3SM -RA BR FEW005 SCT010 BKN040 BKN120 OVC250 19/17 A2932 RMK WR//=
KFBG 161136Z 32016G25KT 3SM -RA BR FEW005 BKN010 BKN040 OVC120 19/17 A2932 RMK LOW FAST MOV SC=
KFBG 161155Z 30016G25KT 3SM -RA BR FEW005 BKN010 BKN040 OVC120 19/17 A2939 RMK PK WND 35033/48 SLP950 LOW FAST MOV SC BKN010 60191 70669 8/57/ 9/71/ 53036 WR//=
KFBG 161155Z 30016G25KT 3SM -RA BR FEW005 BKN010 BKN040 OVC120 19/17 A2939 RMK PK WND 35033/48 PRESRR SLP950 LOW FAST MOV SC BKN010 60191 70669 8/57/  9/71/ 53036 WR//=
KFBG 161255Z 31019G32KT 3SM -RA BR FEW005 BKN010 OVC012 18/15 A2947 RMK PK WND 29032/50 PRESRR SLP977 8/5// 9/8// WR//=

 

 

             1000 EST:  The Hurricane has all but passed from the Flipper area. Some wind and rain remains, but is decreasing rapidly. The clean up will begin shortly and we expect the sun to be out by the afternoon.

 

 

             1400 EST:  The Hurricane has passed from the Flipper area. The sun is shining and the humidity is back to normal ! The clean up progresses...

 

 

         
Fayetteville Observer report on Hurricane Floyd.

 

 

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