Hurricane Matthew’s Impacts in North Carolina

As Hurricane Matthew approached the North Carolina coastline as a Category 1 hurricane with an uncertain projected path (Figure 1), many residents did not alter their weekend plans despite the projected impacts. University football games at NC State, Duke, and UNC were also held as planned despite worsening weather conditions as Matthew approached. This magnified the issue that explaining the severity of all hazardous impacts possible with a hurricane is challenging. Tropical systems are only categorized as a function of wind speed by the Saffir Simpson scale, not accounting for other associated threats imposed by tropical systems. For future events, it is imperative that meteorologists from all sectors express flooding concerns and other hazards that threaten life and property to assure necessary preparations are made in advance of impactful storms.

Figure 1: Hurricane Matthew observed path and strength (colored line), maximum coastal statements issued, landfall locations, wind field, maximum wind speed, minimum pressure, and forecast track changes over time (grey line). Image courtesy of Ian Livingston; data courtesy of NHC.

Read More