Charlotte, North Carolina
Historical Floods
Charlotte, NC, is well-known for excessive flooding. Most of the residents have homes that are built on hills to prevent their homes from extreme flooding and water damage. Did you know that flooding is the number one hazard in Mecklenburg county? Whether you are dealing with the stormy weather the snow builds upon the mountains, North Carolina is famous for having flash floods throughout the state. Flash floods are the worst types of flooding you can experience. It is scary, deadly, and essential to prepare for this type of emergency. FEMA has stated that 83 percent of local floods are flash floods.
The destructive Flood of 1916
This particular flood devastated Mecklenburg county for four days from beginning to end. It started with rainfall on July 13 in the year of 1916. It was a very unforgettable Thursday. The rain began to turn into a devastating and unprecedented storm on Friday the 14th. The winds increased to new heights Friday night and destructively ripped through the city. It looked like a tornado just destroyed the entire city by the early hours on Saturday. Charlotte didn't have half of the damage since the storm was centered in Ashville. Charlotte only had around 5 inches of rain during the crucial 24 hour period. This storm caused over 21 million dollars worth of damages.
The terrifying Hurricane Florence in 2018
Hurricane Florence swept through as a category one hurricane on September 14. It hit the area near Wrightsville Beach, first bringing all the rain and wind to cause extreme flooding for Charlotte and many other areas as well. Hurricane Florence broke records all over North Carolina and South Carolina. Florence broke the record that Hurricane Matthew set in the year 2016. Charlotte didn't have severe devastation from Matthew.
The Duke Energy Flood of 2019
The weather creates not all floods. Opening a flood gate can make a flash flood extremely fast. On July 9, 2019, Duke Energy released the flood gates to the massive dam holding in Lake Norman. They did this without sufficiently warning the residents that would be affected by this sudden release of water. This created an extremely devastating flash flood for many residents of Charlotte, NC. The damage was catastrophic over the entire city. It was more water than had washed through there in around 56 years. The entire state of North Carolina is used to harsh weather elements that push the land to the extreme, whether it is snow or rain. Anyone who lives in this state has to be able to handle these extreme situations due to the high frequency. The storms seem to be getting more powerful each year. These historical floods will not be the last for this community. Charlotte was built to handle the frequent floods in the city. There are plenty of creeks that will carry the extra floodwaters without causing as to the city r homes in the city.