<p>Though it’s a bit early, looks like Ernesto is projected to march through the Research Triangle area. I know what it feels like to sit on the Gulf Coast and take a direct hit…but how does it go in NC? Just a bunch of rain I hope?</p>
<p>In my two years at Chapel Hill (2004-a week ago), I saw the remanants of one storm directly hit the Triangle area. Basically, it was just a wash out for one day and the next day was pretty nice out. Maybe a little bit of wind and ‘rivers’ running through the streets, but of course no classes were cancelled and it was more of an annoyance than anything else.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say it was any worse than the a few of the gullywasher storms that hit this summer, but the duration of the tropical weather was longer.</p>
<p>The worst we had was back when Hugo went through Carolinas and it went onshore in Charleston. That knocked out power for weeks in some areas. Every other storm going through has just been heavy rains/winds.</p>
<p>IDMOM - those storms/hurriacanes will usually - please note usually!!! - effect the coastal areas of NC much worse and leave the inner areas very wet tho. There have been a couple over the past 4 years tho that have dealt the inner NC area some pretty heavy torrential rains/flooding tho.</p>
<p>I have a kiddo who has been evacuated from her NC school twice - the 1st time 5 days after she arrived - for 5 days - she ends up heading inland to the triangle area to ride them out. Haha - that was exciting aarrrghh - actually that is how she made her very best college friend - who adopted her and took her home - some good home cooking made all the difference.</p>
<p>Good…thank you! I didn’t want to even think about evacuating my daughter…we just got her up there! We did the Rita evacuation thing here in Houston…or tried to. Gave up after sitting in traffic for several hours and only going one mile. And as it turns out, we actually slept through the darn thing. </p>
<p>I’m sure it would be much worse for NC if Ernesto were coming in from the Atlantic rather than the Gulf. So it sounds like this one won’t be a problem.</p>
<p>I think hurricane Fran did some significant damage in the Raleigh area several years back, and there was another one whose name I can’t recall at the moment that was pretty bad, too. By “pretty bad,” I mean lots of rain and downed trees (several trees fell on my in-laws’ home in Raleigh). I think college students were probably fine during those two, although they may have been without electricity for a bit and probably would have been advised not to drive anywhere till the streets were cleaned up. Not such a big deal as hurricanes go. Especially looking at Ernesto’s path coming so far over land, I would think it’d be mostly heavy rain.</p>
<p>Now I’m interested in following Ernesto too, for another reason. My D is scheduled to fly out of RDU on Sunday morning.</p>
<p>Now that you mention that nceph. My d has a friend flying into RDU on Friday to visit her and out on Monday. Hopefully he’ll miss the storm both ways!</p>
<p>NCEPH hahaha I do remember FRAN - we moved our DS into his college dorm in the eye of FRAN - in western VA - we were the last car off the highway for almost 24 hours - the day before move-in day - so ya Fran did do a number on the NC/VA area.</p>
<p>Where my DD goes - Fran and the combination of another (can’t recall the name of that storm) actually closed the school for 2 weeks - severe flooding - many students lost lots and lots - and one student died - that is one reason they don’t fool around at that school - they would rather evac - cancel classes than take any chances. The football team had left prior to the storm - to play an away game and was not able to get back to school for 2 weeks. - it was very bad - major losses.</p>
<p>I think the other hurricane that closed this school was Isabela - classes were canceled for 2 days and students were encouraged to leave - or had to move into dorm rooms between the 2nd and 4th floors. Again tho this school is much closer to the east coast of NC and is effected much more oftren.</p>
<p>The storms that do make it inland are move like a nor’easter that we experience in New England pretty frequently - some wind - lots of rain - trees down, etc… but we have never seen the severe damage or issues that have occured closer to the coast in NC</p>
<p>From what is being reported now - could well change as we all know - it will most likely be more of a tropical wind/rain event by the time it reaches the inner NC area - and will/hopefully stay along the coast - loosing strength cuz it will probably spend alot of time over land - FLA/GA/SC - will effect the coastal area more.</p>
<p>I think that hurricane that caused the damage around Fran may have been Bertha, but I don’t remember. More recent ones that have done significant damage in the inland eastern parts of the state are Dennis and later Floyd. Up around Greenville (where your D is JeepMOM?) and Tarboro they caused a tremendous amount of flooding.<br>
We’re on the coast, so we pretty much get them all, or at least it seems that way.</p>
<p>We remember Fran really well in our neighborhood. Huge old oak trees crashing down in the front yard; houses destroyed all around us; no electricity/power for 2 weeks. We would have been safer riding it out at the beach. The one that immediately followed up Fran was actually Floyd–tons of flooding, but not so much in the Triangle area. (I guess Floyd was before Fran?) As others stated above, Ernesto will likely hit the coastal areas, but not come this far inland. Fran was unusual in that regard. The last hurricane (before Fran) that came this far inland in this area was Hazel back in 1952, I think. So Ernesto will likely deliver some amount of rain, but I expect that will be about it in the Triangle area.</p>
<p>It’ll probably just be rain and maybe a little wind…I’d much rather see remnants than an actual storm, having experienced the real thing more than enough times. Our basement flooded out in Fran, for example…</p>
<p>Hopefully it’ll be over by Saturday afternoon, because we have our season football opener here at Wake, and playing in the rain will NOT be fun.</p>
<p>All be safe - no matter the direction it goes. I just sit up here in New England and worry from afar. </p>
<p>Yes NCEPH - my gal is at ECU - tho has spent the last 3 summers at the OBX and had seen a few hurricanes and storms while she has been there. Shs is pretty hurricane sauve tho - thank goodness - and doesn’t take any chances.</p>