Hurricane Bonnie (1998)

Basin

North Atlantic

Dates

August 19, 1998 to August 31, 1998

Peak strength

Category 3, 100 kt (115 mph)

Lowest pressure

954 mb (28.17 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

24.8

Fastest the center moved

36 kt (41 mph)

Identifier

AL021998

Radar at KLTX as it neared land, Aug 27, 04:00 UTC

The sources count different things and are not added together.

Landfall points the US agencies flagged in the best track. The nearest town is named from the site’s gazetteer, not from the report.

NOAA’s Storm Events database, the record National Weather Service offices compile months after a storm, as compiled March 2026.

Deaths

3 (3 direct, 0 indirect)

Injuries

12

Property damage

$120 million

Crop damage

$248 million

Events recorded

70 in 27 reports from 8 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

46 hurricane (typhoon), 8 high wind, 6 flash flood, 6 rip current, 2 heavy rain, 1 tropical storm, 1 tornado.

1 tornado recorded in the United States, strongest first.

The Weather Prediction Center attributes 278 rain gauge totals over the contiguous United States to this storm. The wettest reached 14.61 inches (371 mm).

WPC’s storm rainfall file, 1900 to 2020, compiled by David Roth.

The strongest winds National Weather Service offices recorded with this storm. An estimated figure is a forecaster’s judgment from the damage, not an instrument reading.

From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.

The eye of slow-moving Hurricane Bonnie made landfall at Cape Fear during the late afternon and moved up thecoast, with the stronger east side of the storm remaining offshore. Wind gusts were generally around 100 MPH along the coast and lighter inland.At the airport, gusts reached 74 MPH. Rainfall amounts were around 10 inches, causing ponding of water and flooding across the north end of the county around Castle Hayne. Storm surge was 7 to 9 feet, with most barrier island overwash from the sound side, not the ocean side. Federal Disaster declared.

New Hanover, North Carolina · Hurricane (Typhoon) · Aug 26, 11:00 UTC

Hurricane Bonnie moved slowly up the county coastline with the more powerful wind on the east side of the storm remaining offshore. The highest wind gust report was 98 MPH in Topsail Beach. Rainfall was around 10 inches, causing widespread flooding and the closing of many roads through midmorning of the 27th. Storm surge was 5 to 7 feet, with minor barrier island overwash from the sound side, and little if any from the ocean side. Federal Disaster declared.

Pender, North Carolina · Hurricane (Typhoon) · Aug 26, 14:00 UTC

The center of Hurricane Bonnie came within 70 miles of the Horry County coast as the storm tracked north during the afternoon and early evening. Highest wind reports were from the NNW, ranging as high as 82 MPH at the Cherry Grove pier, while at the Myrtle Beach Pavilion the highest gust was 76 MPH. Rainfall ranged as from 2 to nearly 4 inches. Widespread damage was heaviest in the northeast part of the county - mainly downed trees, wires and structural damage. Ocean levels rose 2-3 feet above normal with no overwash. Federal Disaster Declaration.

Horry, South Carolina · Hurricane (Typhoon) · Aug 26, 17:00 UTC

The center of Hurricane Bonnie tracked north about 90 miles east of the northeast part of the county. Tree, powerline, and minor structural damage occurred along the coast, where ocean levels rose about 2 feet above normal. There were no reports of overwash. Rainfall was less than one inch.

Georgetown, South Carolina · High Wind · Aug 26, 17:00 UTC

• Tropical Storm AlexNorth Atlantic · 1998Tropical Storm45 kt · 1002 mb
• Tropical Storm CharleyNorth Atlantic · 1998Tropical Storm60 kt · 1000 mb
• Hurricane DanielleNorth Atlantic · 1998Cat 290 kt · 960 mb
• Hurricane EarlNorth Atlantic · 1998Cat 285 kt · 964 mb
• Tropical Storm FrancesNorth Atlantic · 1998Tropical Storm55 kt · 990 mb
• Hurricane GeorgesNorth Atlantic · 1998 · 827 deathsCat 4135 kt · 937 mb
• Tropical Storm HermineNorth Atlantic · 1998Tropical Storm40 kt · 999 mb
• Hurricane IvanNorth Atlantic · 1998Cat 180 kt · 975 mb
• Hurricane JeanneNorth Atlantic · 1998Cat 290 kt · 969 mb
• Hurricane KarlNorth Atlantic · 1998Cat 290 kt · 970 mb
• Hurricane LisaNorth Atlantic · 1998Cat 165 kt · 995 mb
• Hurricane MitchNorth Atlantic · 1998 · 19,325 deathsCat 5155 kt · 905 mb
• Hurricane NicoleNorth Atlantic · 1998Cat 175 kt · 979 mb

A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.

Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.

• Tropical cyclone report, National Hurricane Center
• Wikipedia article: Hurricane Bonnie