Hurricane Fran: 1996

Hurricane Fran was perhaps the most powerful hurricane to strike North Carolina since Hazel in 1954. The category three hurricane made landfall in almost the exact same location that Bertha did just a few weeks prior. Again, I filmed the evolution of the effects from my home in Leland, NC. This time, I set up the camera on a tripod in my carport and turned my Nissan Sentra around so that the headlights would shine out in to the approaching eyewall. It worked- and you can see the blasting rain pass in front of the camera. Then, the eye passes directly over my location and I walk around in my front yard amid total darkness. Two days later, I drive around the region with my wife of two weeks (my how time flies) and survey the damage. Notice the boats on high-ground towards the very end. The sound drops out during the aftermath video for some unknown reason. Probably good that it did- who knows what I was blurting out after seeing the extensive damage left by Fran.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• hurricane
• weather
• fran
• 1996
• north carolina

[nmb3970]

can't forget this one. i remember going to bed hearing howling winds and vibrating walls. When i awoke i could not believe what i saw...almost all of the pecan trees were flat on the ground. and going about a week without electricity totally sucked.

[hurricanetrack]

Yes- Fran was quite a memorable hurricane for North Carolina. There was an upper level low over Tennessee that helped to steer Fran northward along 77/78 degrees longitude. Had that upper low not been there, Fran probably would have smashed in to Florida.

[hurricaneadventures]

Like your other videos of NC hurricane landfalls (Bertha, Bonnie, and Floyd), this is one of my personal favorites as well. I rode out the NE quadrant of the eyewall at my Mom's house in SE Pender County (Scotts Hill) only 500 yards from the marina that was heavily damaged by storm surge. Like you, this was my very first encounter with a "major" hurricane and 100 mph winds. Thanks for uploading..."five stars yet again"!:)

[hurricanetrack]

I will never forget parking my Nissan bakwards in the carport to illuminate the outside better with its headlights. I ran the engine on idle for many hours and put a camera on a tri-pod out to record the eye wall. Then the eye passed over- it was my first ever. Amazing to say the least but yet such a devastating event.

[bigtasty210]

this happned september 5th 1996 my bday was 3 days after this i was turning 6 and i remember this like i was yesterday..it doesnt feel like it was 15 years ago!!!

[terrance2011c]

I was in Goldsboro at the time , I was like 5 years old in I still remember this store , couldn't sleep all night because of the sounds ( very scary )

[revbleech]

Well you certainly put more effort into your during-the-storm photography than WECT usually does

[bhstephe]

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was dark & scary.

[guitar7901]

I live in CT and I have since this hurricane hit, all I remember was that there was a shit load of flooding in my basement and everything electrical related was destroyed

[coolnick52]

@nmb3970 What city were you in? I was 5 in rocky mount but I remember a Big pig tree fell across the road and the police redirecting people.

[hamlinfanVA]

Very nasty damage. My grandparents were living further inland in Southern Pines. When Fran tore through, it knocked down 5 oaks in their small urban yard. One landed on their little white cottage.

[hamlinfanVA]

Where was this video taken?

[babygirlkissful]

This was also the day I found out I was having twins...I spent the night in the local high school aka evacuation center. That night changed my life in so many ways.

[coolnick52]

amazing I remember fran we lived in rocky mount at the time, many people from the coastal communities travelled to raleigh thinking they would be out of harms way they got 80 mph wind gust with trees down everywhere.