Hurricane Floyd in Greenville

Hurricane Floyd in Greenville. . On September 15, 1999 Hurricane Floyd struck eastern North Carolina, resulting in historic levels of flooding and causing the loss of 35 lives within the state. Just ten days prior, Hurricane Dennis had dropped about 8 inches of rain in the area, breaking a prolonged dry period, but causing little damage. Floyd produced 20 inches of rain in Greenville causing extensive flooding. The Tar River in Greenville crested at a record level of 25.67 feet on September 21, 1999., Hurricane Floyd became a hurricane on September 10 and reached its peak intensity on September 13, with sustained winds of 156 miles per hour, a strong Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Floyd was remarkable due its size, 580 miles across. It is among the largest Atlantic hurricanes of its strength ever recorded. When it made landfall September 16, it was a strong Category 2 hurricane with winds of 105 miles per hour., Although all the river basins in North Carolina were affected by the storm, flooding along the Tar River was the worst. Rocky Mount, Tarboro, Princeville, Greenville and Washington were devastated. Severe flooding occurred days after the storm, when the river flowed onto streets, over bridges, and into homes. Many residents were caught unaware and were unable to evacuate. They sought refuge on rooftops or in trees, waiting to be rescued by boat or helicopter., Most of the City of Greenville lost power and became like an island due to road closures. Greenville Utilities Commission's power station, water treatment plant and sewage treatment plant were all flooded. East Carolina University was closed for two weeks and nearly 5,000 students and others were forced out of apartments and homes near the Tar River. , The flood water caused damage to more than 670 homes in Greenville and an additional 200 homes outside the city limits. Although many of the homes that were demolished were replaced, others within the flood zone were acquired by the City of Greenville. The monetary loss for the City and its residents is estimated to be over $91 million., River Park North was severely damaged by the flooding. The National Weather Service has commemorated the historic flood area with high water mark plaque at the Walter L. Stasavich Science and Nature Center., Hurricane Floyd left a lasting legacy in Greenville and North Carolina. In Greenville, many of the areas near the river were converted to parks and greenways, helping to preserve water quality and habitats as well as buffer future storms. Among areas now better prepared, Pitt County and East Carolina University have been designated StormReady® for their efforts to plan and train for future severe weather., Look at the mark for Hurricane Floyd on the adjacent pole. Can you reach it?, "In the fall of 1999 I was living in Tar River Estates. The night before the river flooded, the water was a couple feet deep on the road outside my front door. As all of us were thinking, "it won't get any higher, well, it did I woke up that morning and the carpet was wet within an hour, just long enough for me to get my computer, TV, Jewelry box,and cat out; we could barely wade through the front yard. I had parked my car in the back of the building so I could still drive out... When it was safe to go back to my apartment, having no idea what I was about to find - it had only been 10 days - everything was covered in mold and filth. The water had come up two inches below the ceiling. Everything in there was a total loss, everything." Meredith Ripple Morse -ECU Class 2003, from Hurricane Floyd Stories compiled by the East Carolina Alumni Association, (captions) , Hurricane Floyd, NOAA , Tar River Estates during peak flooding. Photo by Jerry Ryan, USGS , Photo by The Daily Reflector