On August 31st, 2018, Hurricane Florence formed off the coast of West Africa. Hurricane Florence caused severe catastrophic damage to the coasts of North and South Carolina through the weeks the hurricane battered the coast. Originally thought to hit Norfolk, Virginia, many schools had closures. The hurricane then changed paths and struck further south. Hurricane Florence dropped a record of 35.93 inches of rain at her strongest point of Category 4. Florence made landfall on September 14th, 2018 in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. The day prior, New Bern, North Carolina (1 hour and 49 minutes from Wrightsville Beach) was hit with a six feet storm surge, rising water levels severely. Rainfall in South Carolina peaked at 23.63 inches which set a state record. At 22 feet, the Waccamaw River (located in Conway, South Carolina) exceeded the previous record of 19 feet set by the floodwaters of Hurricane Matthew. Many people only associate hurricanes with extreme flooding, but this incredible natural disaster can also create others. Two tornadoes were created by Florence in Horry County, but both were rated EF0. Other tornadoes were near my hometown of Richmond, Virginia. Ten tornadoes swept through Chesterfield County, Hanover County, Mecklenburg County, Powhatan County, and the City of Richmond. Unfortunately, one death and one injury was reported from the EF2 tornado in Chesterfield County. As with many natural disasters, communities are brought together through grief. As of right now, “FEMA has utilized Transitional Sheltering Assistance Programs to help with hotel stays for individuals while they look for more permanent solutions, the program have 342 households and a total of 1,044 people as of October 3rd.” Overall, I have heard of the tremendous strength from the communities affected all over the East Coast and I personally am incredibly proud of the resilience shown by those who have rescued, been a shoulder to cry on, or been those who have shed tears. Those affected by Hurricane Florence, Her Campus ODU stands with you and we send all the positive vibes to all of you.
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