Relative Contributions from Wind, Storm Surge, and Inland Flooding to Tropical Cyclone Damage from 1925 to 2000 in North Carolina

This study analyzes the relative contributions from wind, storm surge, and inland flooding to tropical cyclone damage from 1925 to 2000 in North Carolina. It emphasizes the importance of regional tropical cyclone risk assessments, using North Carolina as a case study. A revised normalization method, incorporating housing data instead of population data, revealed more accurate property damage estimations. From 1940 to 2000, housing in coastal North Carolina grew by 780%, compared to a 370% population increase. Using this method, combined damages from 1954 to 1955 tropical storms would exceed USD 18 billion in year 2000 values, compared to USD 13 billion during 1996–1999. Flooding accounted for 40% of the tropical cyclone damage in North Carolina during the study period, exceeding national averages, with wind and storm surge contributing 35% and 25%, respectively. Rainfall analysis showed a weaker link to cyclone intensity. The catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Floyd in 1999 deposited approximately 17 km3 of water, surpassing roughly 13 km3 from Hurricane Fran (1996). While major hurricanes caused 83% of hurricane damage nationally during the study period, they contributed about 70% in North Carolina, with category-2 hurricanes adding 21.4%. These findings highlight the need to consider weaker cyclones, especially category-2 storms, in North Carolina regional hurricane risk management.