In September 2018, Wilmington, North Carolina, like many areas along the U.S. East Coast, experienced a devastating blow from Hurricane Florence.

While the winds were only at Category 1 hurricane force, the combination of those winds, a deluge of 28 inches of rain in a relatively short period of time, and a period of heavy rain preceding the hurricane’s arrival resulted in a total loss of power to the city and historic flooding in numerous areas. Moreover, the rain flooded communities that had never experienced any flooding whatsoever. The city virtually became an island for several days, requiring regular supply drops by helicopter. Despite the fact that the city and county were very experienced in emergency operations, this unusual combination of circumstances caused severe impacts at a level never before experienced in the city.