Hurricane Fran

Hurricane Fran

Hurricane Fran was a big storm that caused damage in the United States in September 1996. It was the sixth named storm, fifth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season. Fran began from a tropical wave near Cape Verde on August 23 and grew stronger over the next few days. It became a hurricane, then weakened a little, but soon became a hurricane again.

As Fran moved, it passed close to the islands of the Bahamas and then turned towards the north-northwest. On September 5, it reached its strongest point with winds of 120 mph (195 km/h), making it a Category 3 hurricane. The next day, Fran hit land near Cape Fear, North Carolina. After that, it quickly weakened and moved over Ontario.

The storm caused problems mostly in North Carolina and South Carolina. Strong winds knocked down trees and power lines, leaving many people without electricity. Big waves caused flooding along the coast. Fran caused some deaths and a lot of damage, and it was the last major hurricane to hit the Carolinas until today.

Meteorological history

Hurricane Fran started from a tropical wave that moved off the western coast of Africa into the Atlantic Ocean on August 22, 1996. Storms began forming around a developing area of low pressure. Ships nearby confirmed that a surface circulation had formed later that day. The National Hurricane Center began giving advisories on the system around 8:00 am EDT on August 23, naming it Tropical Depression Six. At this time, the depression was southeast of the Cape Verde Islands. For several days, little development happened as the system moved westward at 17 mph because of the influence from Hurricane Edouard, located about 850 mi west-northwest.

By August 26, the depression had become very disorganized, and the National Hurricane Center thought it might end. However, the next day, satellite images showed an improved circulation, so advisories were restarted. During the afternoon of August 27, the depression strengthened and became a tropical storm, receiving the name Fran. At this time, Tropical Storm Fran was about 1,000 mi east of the Lesser Antilles. The storm followed a similar path as Edouard, moving west-northwest and gaining strength.

On August 29, deep storms formed around Fran's center, and the National Hurricane Center upgraded it to a Category 1 hurricane, the lowest ranking on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale, with winds of 75 mph. However, Fran weakened to a tropical storm on August 30, possibly due to interaction with Hurricane Edouard to the north. During this time, the storm slowed down and moved more northwestward. But this weakening didn’t last long, and Fran became a hurricane again the next day as Edouard moved towards the Mid-Atlantic coastline. The storm also resumed its west-northwest movement as a subtropical ridge to the north strengthened.

Gradual strengthening continued for the first few days of September, and Fran reached winds of 90 mph on September 3. By this point, the storm began to develop an eye and started strengthening more quickly. Early on September 4, Fran reached Category 3 intensity with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph. A more northwesterly track appeared as it approached the Bahamas. Passing about 115 mi east of the Bahamas, Fran reached its peak intensity on September 5 with winds of 120 mph and a barometric pressure of 946 mbar. The eye of Fran was about 29 mi in diameter at this time.

As a large hurricane, Fran's forward motion increased as it moved northwest towards The Carolinas. Around 7:30 PM EDT on Thursday, September 5, the center of Hurricane Fran made landfall near Cape Fear, North Carolina with sustained winds of 115 mph. Once over land, the storm quickly weakened, dropping to a tropical storm within 12 hours. As the weakening storm moved through Virginia, the National Hurricane Center downgraded it to a tropical depression. Continuing northwest, the remnants of Fran persisted as a tropical depression through September 8, when it became an extratropical cyclone over southern Ontario. After this change, Fran turned northeastward and moved near the Canadian-United States border before being absorbed by a frontal system on September 10.

Preparations

Lesser Antilles and the Bahamas

As Hurricane Fran moved north of the Lesser Antilles on August 29, a warning was issued for islands between Antigua and Saint Martin. But when the hurricane weakened and moved away, the warning was canceled. Warnings were also issued for the central Bahamas and later extended to the northern Bahamas. All warnings for the Bahamas were canceled by September 4. The government of the Bahamas did not make any special plans for the hurricane.

Florida

Early forecasts thought Hurricane Fran might hit Florida hard, so many warnings were issued. But as the hurricane moved north, the warnings shifted northward too. By September 4, a warning was issued only for the northern part of Florida, near Flagler Beach. All warnings for Florida were canceled by September 5.

Before the hurricane came close, civil defense workers held meetings to plan what to do if needed. Beach patrols were also kept ready because Fran was making big waves along the beaches.

Georgia

On September 4, when Hurricane Fran became a big hurricane, warnings were issued for Georgia, stretching into South Carolina. These warnings were later upgraded as the hurricane got closer. Areas north of Brunswick, Georgia were put under a hurricane warning until September 5, when it was lowered. By the end of September 6, all warnings along Georgia’s coast were stopped.

On September 4, many emergency operation centers in Georgia opened. The state ordered everyone to leave Chatham County, while people in Liberty County were asked to leave if they wanted to. Utility companies also worked together to get ready for the storm.

Impact

Hurricane Fran brought strong winds and heavy rain to many parts of the eastern United States. The storm caused flash floods and wind damage. The worst damage happened in North Carolina.

Florida and South Carolina

Before reaching the Carolinas, Hurricane Fran created big waves that hit the Florida coast. The Coast Guard saved five people from a fishing boat that got into trouble. When Fran reached North Carolina, its outer edges brought rain and wind to eastern South Carolina. Strong winds knocked down trees and power lines and damaged some cars and homes.

North Carolina

Fran caused a lot of damage along the coast of North Carolina. Big waves washed away a temporary police station and town hall. Flooding hit areas like Wrightsville Beach and Jacksonville. Farther inland, the storm damaged buildings and trees from Wilmington to Raleigh, including places like North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina. Heavy rain caused dangerous flooding.

Virginia

In Virginia, strong winds and high water caused big problems, especially around Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River. The storm knocked out power for many people. Heavy rain caused flash floods that closed roads and damaged homes. The Shenandoah River rose very high, causing major flooding.

West Virginia

Fran brought heavy rain to West Virginia, causing flash floods that damaged bridges and water plants.

Maryland

Western Maryland saw serious flooding from the storm, damaging about 650 homes. This was the worst flooding since a big storm in 1954.

District of Columbia

In Washington, D.C., Fran brought wind and rain that caused minor flooding and closed some roads. The storm also knocked down trees and caused damage.

Pennsylvania

Flash floods hit about 15 counties in western Pennsylvania, where heavy rain caused rivers to overflow.

Ohio, Michigan, New England, and Canada

As Fran moved north, it brought rain to parts of Ohio, especially near Lake Erie. Strong winds knocked down trees and power lines, and caused flooding in places like Cleveland. In Canada, the storm mostly just brought light to moderate rain with little impact.

Aftermath

Hurricane Fran caused big problems near the Cape Fear River. The water in the rivers became dirty for many weeks, and many fish died. Some water cleaning places stopped working, making things worse. The air in the water got low, which made it hard for fish and other sea creatures to live.

Retirement

See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricane names

Because Hurricane Fran caused so much damage, the name "Fran" was retired in 1997 by the World Meteorological Organization. It will never be used again for a hurricane in the Atlantic. Instead, the name "Fay" was used for a hurricane in the 2002 season.