PRELIMINARY POST STORM REPORT...HURRICANE FLOYD NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA 

200 PM EDT MON SEP 20 1999 

...GENERAL INFORMATION... 

HURRICANE FLOYD WAS A CATEGORY 1 (MINIMAL) HURRICANE AS IT CROSSED THE WAKEFIELD WFO COUNTY WARNING AREA. SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WITH GUSTS TO NEAR HURRICANE FORCE OCCURRED OVER THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT OF THE STORM OVER INTERIOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND ALONG THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE WAKEFIELD MARINE AREA. 

FLOYD TRACKED ACROSS THE AREA IN A SIMILAR FASHION TO HURRICANES DONNA IN SEPTEMBER 1960 AND MORE RECENTLY HURRICANE CHARLEY IN AUGUST 1986. THE CENTER OF THE STORM CROSSED THE COUNTY WARNING AREA ALONG AN ELIZABETH CITY...CURRITUCK COUNTY TO SANDBRIDGE VIRGINIA BEACH AXIS. 

THE BAROMETRIC PRESSURE IN NORFOLK WAS THE FOURTH LOWEST FOR A HURRICANE THIS CENTURY. 

HURRICANE DONNA 1960 28.65 INCHES 

HURRICANE 1933 28.68 INCHES 

HURRICANE CONNIE 1955 28.77 INCHES 

HURRICANE FLOYD 1999 28.85 INCHES 

THE RELATIVELY SLOW FORWARD MOTION OF FLOYD COMPARED TO DONNA ALLOWED FOR SIGNIFICANT WEAKENING OF THE TROPICAL CYCLONE OVER NORTH CAROLINA AND AS SUCH WIND EFFECTS FROM FLOYD WERE GREATLY REDUCED. 

FLOYD WILL BE REMEMBERED AS AN EXTREMELY WET HURRICANE FOR EAST-CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND INTERIOR NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA. THE PRESENCE OF A STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY PROVIDED THE FOCUS FOR EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS AVERAGED 10 TO 20 INCHES IN A 50-75 MILE SWATH CENTERED OVER THE HEADWATERS OF THE CHOWAN RIVER BASIN IN INTERIOR SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA EXTENDING INTO THE MIDDLE PENINSULA. 


A. HIGHEST WINDS...ALL TIMES IN EDT ON SEPTEMBER 16TH 

SUSTAINED GUST 


NORFOLK AIRPORT (ORF) 27 KT/31 MPH 903 PM* 40 KT/46 MPH 958 AM 

ELIZABETH CITY CGS (ECG) 34 KT/39 MPH 946 AM 56 KT/64 MPH 938 AM 

OCEANA NAS (NTU) 35 KT/41 MPH 1256 PM 

NORFOLK NAS (NGU) 38 KT/44 MPH 1209 PM 48 KT/55 MPH 1209 PM 

PORTSMOUTH 30 KT/35 MPH 1214PM 52 KT/60 MPH 1220 PM 

LANGLEY AFB (LFI) 40 KT/46 MPH 955 PM* 55 KT/63 MPH 955 PM * 

NEWPORT NEWS (PHF) 33 KT/38 MPH 1223 PM 44 KT/51 MPH 1223 PM 

FORT EUSTIS (FAF) 25 KT/29 MPH 1240 PM 37 KT/43 MPH 1153 AM 

RICHMOND (RIC) 29 KT/34 MPH 1005 AM 44 KT/51 MPH 1011 AM 

JAMES RIVER BRIDGE /100 MPH 1220 PM # 

SALISBURY (SBY) 28 KT/32 MPH 550 PM 42 KT/48 MPH 550 PM 

OCEAN CITY 31 KT/36 MPH 1253 PM 45 KT/52 MPH 112 PM 

DUCK COE PIER (DUCN7) 69 KT/79 MPH 1000 AM 85 KT/98 MPH 950 AM 

CHESAPEAKE LIGHT (CHLV2) 60 KT/69 MPH 1130 AM 73 KT/84 MPH 1200 PM 

BUOY 44014 50 KT/58 MPH 1215 PM 66 KT/77 MPH 1215 PM 

BUOY 44009 40 KT/46 MPH 230 PM 54 KT/62 MPH 230 PM 

* - SEPTEMBER 15TH 

# - ANEMOMETER HEIGHT 100 FT 


B. LOWEST PRESSURE...ALL TIMES IN EDT ON SEPTEMBER 16TH 

NORFOLK AIRPORT (ORF) ALTM 28.85 SLP 977.1 MB/1151 AM 

PORTSMOUTH ALTM 28.89 /1200 PM 

ELIZABETH CITY CGS (ECG) ALTM 28.60 SLP 968.5 MB/1018 AM 

OCEANA NAS (NTU) ALTM 28.81 SLP 975.7 MB/1156 AM 

NORFOLK NAS (NGU) ALTM 28.91 SLP 979.1 MB/1155 AM 

NEWPORT NEWS (PHF) ALTM 29.04 SLP 983.4 MB/1158 AM 

FORT EUSTIS (FAF) ALTM 29.09 SLP 985.2 MB/1055 AM 

RICHMOND (RIC) ALTM 29.29 SLP 991.9 MB/1240 PM 

OCEAN CITY (OXB) ALTM 28.85 SLP 976.8 MB/ 253 PM 

SALISBURY (SBY) ALTM 28.95 SLP 980.4 MB/ 251 PM 

DUCK COE PIER (DUCN7) ALTM 28.84 SLP 977.0 MB/1000 AM 

CHESAPEAKE LIGHT (CHLV2) ALTM 28.64 SLP 970.0 MB/1200 PM 

BOUY 44014 ALTM 28.98 SLP 981.4 MB/1200 PM 

BUOY 44009 ALTM 28.81 SLP 975.8 MB/ 400 PM 


C. RAINFALL...(STORM TOTAL FOR 9/14/99 - 9/16/99) 

YORKTOWN 18.13 INCHES # 

GLOUCESTER 11.25 INCHES 

LOWER JAMES CITY COUNTY 12.83 INCHES 

JAMES CITY COUNTY 14.30 INCHES 

SMITHFIELD 12.50 INCHES 

NORFOLK AIRPORT (ORF) 6.81 INCHES 

HAMPTON (LFI) 7.50 INCHES 

NEWPORT NEWS (PHF) 16.57 INCHES 

PORTSMOUTH 10.10 INCHES 

RICHMOND 6.54 INCHES 

WFO WAKEFIELD 12.73 INCHES 

WEEMS VA 10.83 INCHES 

ELIZABETH CITY NC 2.65 INCHES 

SALISBURY MD (SBY) 5.08 INCHES 

OCEAN CITY MD (OXB) 1.71 INCHES 

# 24 HOUR TOTAL 500 PM SEPT 15TH TO 500 PM SEPT 16TH 


RADAR ESTIMATES OF STORM TOTAL PRECIPITATION CORRELATED WELL WITH OBSERVED TOTALS. THE WAKEFIELD WSR-88D UTILIZED THE TROPICAL Z-R FOR PRECIPITATION ESTIMATION DURING HURRICANE FLOYD. 


D. STORM TIDES... 

TIDAL DEPARTURE AT SEWELLS POINT IN NORFOLK WAS 3.9 FEET ABOVE NORMAL OR 6.4 FEET ABOVE MLLW. THIS RESULTED IN MODERATE TO LOCALLY SEVERE COASTAL FLOODING APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS BEFORE HIGH TIDE AT 12:42 PM SEPTEMBER 16TH. THE TIDE GAGE IN DOWNTOWN NORFOLK RECORDED A TIDE OF 7.1 FEET ABOVE MLLW. BOTH VALUES ARE WITHIN A HALF FOOT OR LESS OF THE PEAK TIDE OBSERVED DURING THE NOR'EASTER OF FEBRUARY 4, 1998. 

FLOODING WAS MORE WIDESPREAD DURING HURRICANE FLOYD EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINFALL BEFORE AND DURING THE PEAK STORM TIDE. COASTAL PASQUOTANK AND CAMDEN COUNTIES IN NORTH CAROLINA EXPERIENCED 
APPROXIMATELY A 5 TO 6 FOOT SURGE IN THE ALBEMARLE SOUND FLOODING COASTAL SECTIONS OF THOSE COUNTIES INCLUDING THE BUSINESS DISTRICT OF DOWNTOWN ELIZABETH CITY. CHOWAN COUNTY EXPERIENCED A 5 TO 6 FOOT SURGE FROM THE ALBEMARLE SOUND CAUSING SOME FLOODING IN EDENTON. 

STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 TO 7 FEET OCCURRED OVER THE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE CHESPEAKE BAY INUNDATING SECTIONS OF DORCHESTER AND SOMERSET COUNTIES IN MARYLAND AND ACCOMAC COUNTY IN VIRGINIA. 5 FEET OF WATER FLOODED CRISFIELD MARYLAND WHILE HOMES IN ACCOMAC COUNTY REPORTED 3 TO 6 
FEET OF WATER. 

THE WATER ASSOCIATED WITH FLOYD ON THE DELMARVAWAS HIGHER THAN THE WATER ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE HAZEL IN 1954. 


E. BEACH EROSION... 

A RELATIVELY BRIEF PERIOD OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE ONSHORE WINDS DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS OF SEPTEMBER 15TH AND 16TH RESULTED ONLY IN MINOR BEACH EROSION. 


F. FLOODING...RIVER FLOODING 

RIVER FLOODING WAS EXTENSIVE IN THE CHOWAN RIVER BASIN. THE BLACKWATER...MEHERRIN AND NOTTOWAY RIVERS EXCEEDED FLOOD STAGE. WATER LEVELS IN THE CITY OF FRANKLIN ARE ESTIMATED TO BE SEVERAL FEET 
ABOVE THE FLOOD OF RECORD WHICH OCCURRED IN AUGUST 1940. THE FLOODING IS CONSIDERED TO BE A 500 YEAR FLOOD OF RECORD. 

RIVER FORECAST POINT HIGHEST STAGE 

LAWRENCEVILLE 29.62 FT 

EMPORIA 26.2 FT 

FRANKLIN 26.5 FT * 3 TO 4 FT ABOVE FLOOD OF RECORD AUGUST 1940 

SEBRELL 27.5 FT * 

STONY CREEK 21.5 FT * 

* - ESTIMATED SINCE GAGES ARE OUT OF SERVICE DUE TO COMMS PROBLEMS/INUNDATION 


G. TORNADOES... 

2 CONFIRMED TORNADOES OCCURRED IN ASSOCIATION WITH HURRICANE FLOYD. DURING THE EVENING OF SEPTEMBER 15TH. THE FIRST TORNADO NEAR THE TOWN OF WINDSOR IN BERTIE COUNTY AT 740 PM EDT. A TREE WAS BLOWN ONTO A ROAD AND THE TORNADO WAS WITNESSED BY A CITIZEN. 

THE SECOND TORNADO OCCURRED IN THE TOWN OF DURANTS NECK IN PERQUIMANS COUNTY AT 1130 PM EDT. THIS TORNADO DESTROYED 2 HOUSES A HALF MILE APART NEAR THE ALBEMARLE SOUND. IN ADDITION 3 TO 4 OTHER HOMES SUSTAINED DAMAGES. 


H. STORM EFFECTS... 

THERE ARE 2 KNOWN FATALITIES. THE FIRST OCCURRED IN BERTIE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA AND THE OTHER OCCURRED IN HENRICO COUNTY VIRGINIA. 

THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY SEVERAL THOUSAND PERSONS EVACUATED AND HOUSED IN SEVERAL SHELTERS FROM COASTAL JURISDICTIONS IN THE WAKEFIELD COUNTY WARNING AREA. 

HUNDREDS OF TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN ACROSS NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...INTERIOR SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA AND THE IMMEDIATE HAMPTON ROADS AREA...RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES OVER THE AREA WITH AS MANY AS 225,000 CUSTOMERS WITHOUT POWER. 

NUMEROUS ROADS HAVE BEEN WASHED DUE TO FLOODING. PRIMARY ROUTES OUT OF SERVICE INCLUDED US 460 NEAR WAKEFIELD...US 58 NEAR EMPORIA AND FRANKLIN...INTERSTATE 95 SOUTH OF PETERSBURG TO EMPORIA. 

HEAVY RAINFALL RESULTED IN A CONTAMINATION OF THE PORTSMOUTH CITY WATER SUPPLY LOCATED IN THE CITY OF SUFFOLK. 100,000 PERSONS REMAIN WITHOUT POTABLE WATER IN THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH. IN ADDITION THE WATER SUPPLY IN THE TOWN OF WAKEFIELD IS CONTAMINATED. 

NO ESTIMATES OF DAMAGE HAVE BEEN RECEIVED THUS FAR. 

HUGH COBB/STAFF 
WFO WAKEFIELD