Hurricane Floyd (1999)

Basin

North Atlantic

Dates

September 7, 1999 to September 19, 1999

Peak strength

Category 4, 135 kt (155 mph)

Lowest pressure

921 mb (27.20 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

29.4

Fastest the center moved

32 kt (37 mph)

Identifier

AL081999

Radar at KLTX as it neared land, Sep 16, 06:30 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

58 (58 direct, 0 indirect)

Injuries

253

Property damage

$4.5 billion

Crop damage

$1.1 billion

Events recorded

602 in 76 reports from 17 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

212 flash flood, 146 high wind, 132 hurricane (typhoon), 28 heavy rain, 21 strong wind, 17 tropical storm, 15 tornado, 12 flood, 10 coastal flood, 5 storm surge/tide, 2 funnel cloud, 1 waterspout, 1 thunderstorm wind.

15 tornadoes and 1 waterspout recorded in the United States, strongest first.

The Weather Prediction Center attributes 1,342 rain gauge totals over the contiguous United States to this storm. The wettest reached 24.06 inches (611 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.

Heavy rains from Hurricane Floyd accumulated around 20 inches and caused the worst flooding in county history. Septic tanks and wells were affected. High water closed most roads, including US17, isolating many areas. A dam broke at Boiling Springs Lakes, inundating the area. The Lockwood Folly River flooded and rescues were necessary. The Waccamaw River rose more slowly in response to the rains, and evacuations were necessary by the 19th in the vicinityof the town of Ash. Along the Cape Fear River, the Goose Creek, Rieglewood and Blue Banks communities were affected.

Brunswick, North Carolina · Flash Flood · Sep 15, 12:30 UTC

Heavy rains associated with hurricane Floyd accumulated 15 to 20 inches in the eastern part of the county, causing flooding 3 feet deep in some areas and overwhelming drainage systems. The Waccamaw River gradually rose for the next week, finally cresting near record level and flooding more than 1700 dwellings.

Horry, South Carolina · Flash Flood · Sep 15, 19:00 UTC

Heavy rains from Hurricane Floyd accumulated around 20 inches and caused the worst flooding in county history. High water closed many roads including U.S. 701 and N.C. 210, 41, 53 and 87...isolating much of the area and inundating low-lying areas. The Kelly-Rowan area was affected first, and gradually more than 300 structures were flooded across the county. The Bladenboro business district had waist-deep water that affected 10 businesses and many residences. About 50% of the crops were lost, and hog waste contributed to pollution.

Bladen, North Carolina · Flash Flood · Sep 15, 19:30 UTC

Heavy rains associated with hurricane Floyd accumulated near 9 inches in the eastern part of the county and 3 inches on the west side. Flooding occurred in the Brittons Neck area and along Highway U.S. 76 from Nichols to Marion.

Marion, South Carolina · Flash Flood · Sep 16, 06:00 UTC

• Tropical Storm ArleneNorth Atlantic · 1999Tropical Storm50 kt · 1006 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 1999Tropical Depression30 kt · 1004 mb
• Hurricane BretNorth Atlantic · 1999Cat 4125 kt · 944 mb
• Hurricane CindyNorth Atlantic · 1999Cat 4120 kt · 942 mb
• Hurricane DennisNorth Atlantic · 1999Cat 290 kt · 962 mb
• Tropical Storm EmilyNorth Atlantic · 1999Tropical Storm45 kt · 1004 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 1999Tropical Depression30 kt · 1006 mb
• Hurricane GertNorth Atlantic · 1999Cat 4130 kt · 930 mb
• Tropical Storm HarveyNorth Atlantic · 1999Tropical Storm50 kt · 994 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 1999Tropical Depression30 kt · 1002 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 1999Tropical Depression30 kt · 1007 mb
• Hurricane IreneNorth Atlantic · 1999Cat 295 kt · 958 mb
• Hurricane JoseNorth Atlantic · 1999Cat 285 kt · 979 mb
• Tropical Storm KatrinaNorth Atlantic · 1999Tropical Storm35 kt · 999 mb
• Hurricane LennyNorth Atlantic · 1999Cat 4135 kt · 933 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
• Every advisory and discussion NHC issued while it was live
• Wikipedia article: Hurricane Floyd