Tornadoes and Tropical Storm in North Carolina, August 31, 2006

TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO, WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS OF 70 MPH, MADE LANDFALL ON AUGUST 31ST DURING THE LATE EVENING HOURS. THE STRONG TROPICAL STORM MOVED ACROSS THE COASTAL PLAINS REGION DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 1ST. IN GENERAL, WIND GUSTS RANGED FROM 40 TO 60 MPH WITH THE HIGHEST GUSTS NEAR 70 MPH ALONG THE COASTAL SECTIONS OF ONSLOW COUNTY. MINOR STORM SURGE FLOODING AND BEACH EROSION OCCURRED ALONG THE ONSLOW AND CARTERET COUNTY COAST LINE AND THE NEUSE RIVER. MORE SIGNIFICANT SURGE OCCURRED ALONG THE PAMLICO RIVER IN BEAUFORT COUNTY WHERE EVACUATIONS WERE ORDERED. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL RANGED FROM 4 INCHES TO NEAR 10 INCHES. THIS HEAVY RAINFALL RESULTED IN EXTENSIVE FRESH WATER FLOODING AND EVENTUAL RIVER FLOODING ACROSS THE AREA WITH SOME PRIMARY AND MANY SECONDARY ROADS FLOODED. THE NORTHEAST CAPE FEAR RIVER AT CHINQUAPIN REMAINED IN MAJOR FLOOD FROM SEPTEMBER 2ND THROUGH SEPTEMBER 7TH RESULTING OF FLOODING OF PRIMARY ROADS AND HOMES FORCING THE EVACUATION OF MANY RESIDENTS IN THE CHINQUAPIN AREA. HEAVY RAINFALL DURING THE EVENING OF AUGUST 31ST THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF SEPTEMBER 1ST RESULTED IN EXTENSIVE FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS, ROADS, AND STREAMS ACROSS EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA, MAINLY WEST OF THE HIGHWAY 17 CORRIDOR. AREAL FLOOD WARNINGS WERE ISSUED FOR MOST OF THE COUNTY WARNING AREA AS ERNESTO MOVED ACROSS THE COASTAL PLAINS COUNTIES OF EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. DUPLIN COUNTY WAS HARDEST HIT WITH PRIMARY ROADS FLOODED INCLUDING A 12 MILE STRETCH OF INTERSTATE 40. MANY STREAMS AND ROADS ACROSS THE COASTAL PLAINS COUNTIES REMAINED FLOODED FOR SEVERAL DAYS. FRESHWATER FLOODING AND RIVER FLOODING FROM ERNESTO CAUSED MOST OF THE DAMAGES ACROSS EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT STORM SURGE EFFECTS OCCURRED ALONG THE PAMLICO AND PUNGO RIVERS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY WHERE ESTIMATED WATER LEVEL RISES OF 4 TO 6 FEET RESULTED IN FLOODING OF MANY ROADS, LOW LYING AREAS, HOMES, AND BUSINESSES IN WASHINGTON, WHICHARDS BEACH, AND BELHAVEN. HIGHEST WIND GUSTS OCCURRED IN THE COASTAL PLAINS COUNTIES WITH GUSTS NEAR 70 MPH ALONG COASTAL ONSLOW COUNTY WITH WIND DAMAGE REPORTED. THIRTY HOMES AND BUSINESSES WERE DAMAGED, MAINLY FROM FRESHWATER FLOODING, IN ONSLOW COUNTY WITH DAMAGES ESTIMATED NEAR 1/2 MILLION DOLLARS. THIRTY HOMES WERE FLOODED OR REPORTED WIND DAMAGE IN JONES COUNTY WITH DAMAGE ESTIMATES OVER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. CROP DAMAGE IN JONES COUNTY WAS ESTIMATED UP TO 5 MILLION DOLLARS. FRESHWATER FLOODING WAS EXTENSIVE IN DUPLIN COUNTY, AND MAJOR RIVER FLOODING OCCURRED ALONG THE NORTHEAST CAPE FEAR RIVER NEAR CHINQUAPIN WHERE SEVERAL PRIMARY AND MANY SECONDARY ROADS WERE FLOODED FOR NEARLY ONE WEEK. EVACUATIONS OF MANY HOMES, AND RESCUES DUE TO HIGH WATER WERE REQUIRED ACROSS SEVERAL LOCATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTY, ESPECIALLY NEAR CHINQUAPIN. AN ESTIMATED SOUNDSIDE FLOODING OF 3 FEET OCCURRED AT COLLINGTON HARBOR IN DARE COUNTY WHERE SEVERAL HOMES AND BUSINESSES WERE FLOODED WITH AN ESTIMATED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS IN DAMAGES OCCURRED. MINOR WIND OR FLOODING DAMAGES WERE REPORTED IN MANY OTHER COUNTIES IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. THREE WEAK TORNADOES REPORTED ACROSS CARTERET AND ONSLOW COUNTIES RESULTED IN MINOR DAMAGE.