Cape Fear marks 27 years since Hurricane Fran, 4 years since Hurricane Dorian

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — September 5th has proven to be a significant day in Cape Fear hurricane history.

Hurricane Fran made landfall as a category three hurricane on September 5, 1996 with strong winds and heavy rain.

Hurricane Dorian didn’t make landfall in the Cape Fear, coming ashore along the outer banks, but still brought at least 15 tornadoes as strong as EF2 strength.

So far in 2023, the Cape Fear has already seen impacts from Tropical Storm Idalia late last month.

The peak of hurricane season arrives September 10th, with the official end of the season coming on November 30th.