A look at recent hurricane history in Dare County.

1985 – Gloria 

Sept 16 – Oct 2 

Max Wind Speed: 144 mph 

Landfall: Hatteras – 9/26/85 

Category 2 at Landfall with a 6 – 8 ft Storm Surge and 104 mph winds 

1985 – Kate 

Nov 15 – Nov 23 

Max Wind Speed: 123 mph 

Landfall in Florida 

Affected NC 11/22/85 

Tropical Storm when arrived in NC with 52 mph winds 

1991 – Bob 

Aug 16 – Aug 29 

Max Wind Speed: 115 mph 

Never made landfall in NC Reached Category 3 off of NC Coast 

Hit North Carolina 8/19/91 

1993 – Emily 

Aug 22 –Sept 6 

Max Wind Speed: 115 mph 

Never made landfall in NC 

Reached Category 3 off of coast 

Affected NC 8/31/93 

Evacuation – all of Dare County 

Estimated $12 million in damages 

1996 – Bertha 

July 5 – July 17 

Max Wind Speed: 115 mph 

Landfall: Topsail Beach 7/13/96 

Category 2 at landfall with 104 mph winds and a 5 ft Storm surge 

Evacuation – all of Dare County  

1996 – Fran 

Aug 23 – Sept 10 

Max wind Speed: 121 mph 

Landfall: Cape Fear 

Category 3 at landfall with 115 mph winds and an 8-12 ft storm surge 

No evacuations in Dare County 

1998 – Bonnie 

Aug 19 – Aug 31 

Max Wind Speed: 115 mph 

Landfall: Cape Fear 

Category 3 at landfall 6-8 ft storm surge 

Evacuation – all of Dare County 

1998 – Earl 

Aug 31 – Sept 8 

Max Wind Speed: 98 mph 

Tropical Storm when reached NC 

1999 – Dennis 

Aug 24 – Sept 8 

Max Wind Speed: 104 mph 

Landfall: Dare County 9/14/99 

Tropical Storm at landfall 69 mph winds 

Evacuation – all of Dare County 

Estimated $10 million in damages 

1999 – Floyd 

Sept 7 – Sept 19 

Max Wind Speed: 155 mph 

Landfall: Topsail Island 9/16/99 

Category 2 at landfall with 109 mph winds 

Evacuation – all of Dare County 

 2003 – Isabel 

Sept 7 – Sept 29 

Max Wind Speed: 160 mph 

Landfall: Drum Inlet 9/18/03 

Category 2 at landfall with 104 mph winds and 6 – 10 ft storm surge 

Created breech in island between Frisco and Hatteras Village 

Evacuation – all of Dare County 

Estimated $400 million in damages 

2004 – Alex 

Aug 3 

Category 2 at the time of landfall 

Caused sound side flooding 

Most damage in the form of flooding damage to cars and homes 

Estimated $2.4 million in damages 

2005 – Ophelia 

Sept 13 – Sept 16

Max Wind Speed: 85 mph 

Passed NC Coast as a Tropical Storm 

Evacuation – Hatteras Island only 

Estimated $19,500 in damages 

2010 – Earl 

Aug 25- Sept 5 

Max Wind Speed: 145 mph 

Passed 100 miles off of the NC Coast 

Evacuation – all of Hatteras Island and Ocean front of all towns 

Estimated $500,000 in damages 

2011 – Irene 

Aug 20 – Aug 28 

Max Wind Speed: 120 mph 

Landfall just south of the Outer Banks 

Evacuation all of Dare County 

Significant flooding 

Estimated Damages: $53,975,960 

2012 – Sandy 

Oct 25 – Oct 31 

Max Wind Speed: 70 mph 

Significant road damage to NC 12 in Kitty Hawk and Rodanthe 

7-8 inches of rainfall 

Emergency ferry activation due to NC 12 road damage 

Estimated Damages: $13+ million 

 2014 – Arthur 

July 3 – July 4 

Max Wind Speed: 101 mph 

Category 2 at landfall 

Earliest hurricane on record 

Landfall between Cape Lookout and Beaufort 

Mandatory evacuation issued for Hatteras Island 

 2016 – Hermine 

August 28 – Sept 3 

Max Wind Speed: 73 mph 

Category 1 with tropical sustained winds 

Extensive flooding in villages on Hatteras Island 

Storm surge of 4 feet about normal tide 

Estimated storm damages: $5.4 million 

 2016 – Matthew 

October 7 – October 9 

Max Wind Speed: 94 mph 

Category 1 with landfall in South Carolina 

Highest Dare County wind reported at 94 mph 

NWS reported rainfall 12+ inches in Kill Devil Hills 

Estimated statewide damages: $1.5 billion 

2017 – Maria 

Sept 25 – Sept 27 

Max Wind Speed: 75 mph 

Category 1 

State of Emergency Declared 

Mandatory evacuation of visitors on Hatteras Island 

No estimate of damages available