Hurricane in North Carolina, August 27 to 28, 1998

Name: Hurricane in North Carolina, August 27 to 28, 1998
Start: 1998-08-27T20:00
End: 1998-08-28T15:00
Location: North Carolina

August 27 to 28, 1998 · NWS RAH · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

Hurricane Bonnie made landfall along the southern coast of North Carolina. Only fringe effects were felt in the central sections of the state.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: $50 million
Events: 11

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS RAH wrote it up.

Hurricane Bonnie made landfall along the southern coast of North Carolina. Only fringe effects were felt in the central sections of the state. Rainbands associated with Bonnie spread inland as far west as Louisburg...Raleigh...Raven Rock...Fort Bragg...and Fayetteville. Torrential rains and strong gusty winds accompanied the rainbands through the night on the 27th and into the daylight hours on the 28th. The strongest winds were recorded over Sampson and Wayne counties where gusts over 50 mph occurred. Elsewhere, gusts to 40 mph occurred with the rainbands. Damage was sporadic and confined to the southeast portions of central North Carolina. About 20 roads were blocked for several hours in Harnett county and there were numerous reports of trees being blown down across Sampson, Wayne, Johnston, Wilson, Harnett, and Cumberland counties. About ten thousand people lost power in these areas sometime during the storm. Tobacco losses were extensive. The estimated total value of the tobacco crop lost due to Bonnie ranged from 25 to 50 million dollars.Rainfall amounts averaged 2 to 4 inches over the eastern Piedmont and Sandhills with amounts dropping rapidly west of Raleigh and Fayetteville. For example, downtown Raleigh recorded around 2 inches of rain while the Raleigh/Durham Airport, 10 miles west of downtown, recorded only 1/3 of an inch. Elsewhere, some of the higher amounts included: Wilson 4.94 inches, Clinton 4.45 inches, Goldsboro 3.74 inches, Erwin 2.80 inches, Clayton 2.76 inches, Rocky Mount 2.74 inches, and Fayetteville 2.17 inches.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 hurricane (typhoon). Local standard time, as filed.

Hurricane (Typhoon), Edgecombe

When: August 27, 8:00 PM EST to August 28, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Edgecombe forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 35.913, -77.597 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hurricane (Typhoon), Cumberland

When: August 27, 8:00 PM EST to August 28, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Cumberland forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 35.049, -78.827 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hurricane (Typhoon), Franklin

When: August 27, 8:00 PM EST to August 28, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 36.083, -78.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hurricane (Typhoon), Harnett

When: August 27, 8:00 PM EST to August 28, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Harnett forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 35.369, -78.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hurricane (Typhoon), Hoke

When: August 27, 8:00 PM EST to August 28, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Hoke forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 35.017, -79.237 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hurricane (Typhoon), Johnston

When: August 27, 8:00 PM EST to August 28, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Johnston forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 35.518, -78.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hurricane (Typhoon), Nash

When: August 27, 8:00 PM EST to August 28, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Nash forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 35.967, -77.986 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hurricane (Typhoon), Sampson

When: August 27, 8:00 PM EST to August 28, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Sampson forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 34.992, -78.371 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hurricane (Typhoon), Wake

When: August 27, 8:00 PM EST to August 28, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Wake forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 35.790, -78.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hurricane (Typhoon), Wayne

When: August 27, 8:00 PM EST to August 28, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 35.364, -78.004 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hurricane (Typhoon), Wilson

When: August 27, 8:00 PM EST to August 28, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Wilson forecast zone
Crop damage: $50 million
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 35.705, -77.919 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hurricane Bonnie made landfall along the southern coast of North Carolina. Only fringe effects were felt in central sections of the state. Rainbands associated with Bonnie spread inland and as far west as Louisburg...Raleigh...Raven Rock...Fort Bragg...and Fayetteville. Torrential rains and strong gusty winds accompanied the rainbands through the night on the 27th and into the daylight hours on the 28th. The strongest winds were recorded over Sampson and Wayne counties were gusts to over 50 mph occurred. Elsewhere, gusts to 40 mph occurred with the rainbands. Damage was sporadic and confined to the southeast portions of central North Carolina. About 20 roads were blocked for several hours in Harnett county and there were numerous reports of trees being blown down across Sampson, Wayne, Johnston, Wilson, Harnett and Cumberland counties. About 10,000 people lost power in these areas sometime during the storm. Tobacco losses in central North Carolina were extensive. Wilson county lost 200 pounds per acre, Johnston county lost 75 pounds per acre, and Edgecombe 100 pounds per acre. The estimated total value of the tobacco crop lost due to Bonnie ranged to near 25 to 50 million dollars.Rainfall amounts averaged 2 to 4 inches over the eastern Piedmont and Sandhills with amounts dropping rapidly west of Raleigh and Fayetteville. For example, downtown Raleigh recorded around 2 inches of rain while the Raleigh/Durham Airport 10 miles west of downtown Raleigh recorded only 1/3 of an inch. Elsewhere, some of the higher amounts included: Wilson 4.94 inches, Clinton 4.45 inches, Goldsboro 3.74 inches, Erwin 2.80 inches, Clayton 2.76 inches, Rocky Mount 2.74 inches, and Fayetteville 2.17 inches.

What these are

Hurricane (Typhoon): A tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 64 knots (74 mph) or more, filed per forecast zone for its wind, and with separate events for its flooding, surge and tornadoes.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Carolina in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, August 1998 The 1998 hurricane season

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5665935, 5665936, 5665937, 5665938, 5665939, 5665940, 5665941, 5665942, 5665943, 5665944, 5666187.