| Category 3 hurricane (SSHS) | |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Emily off North Carolina coastline | |
| Formed | August 22, 1993 |
| Dissipated | September 6, 1993 |
| Highest winds | 1-minute sustained: 115 mph (185 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 960 mbar (hPa; 28.35 inHg) |
| Fatalities | 3 direct |
| Damage | $50 million (1993 USD) |
| Areas affected | Outer Banks, North Carolina, and Maryland |
| Part of the 1993 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Emily was a Category 3 hurricane during the 1993 Atlantic hurricane season. On September 1, the storm brushed the Outer Banks of North Carolina before heading back out to sea. Despite coming within miles of North Carolina as a major hurricane, the storm caused only three deaths and $50 million (2004 US dollars) in damages.
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A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on August 17, and moved quickly west-northwestward. It organized into Tropical Depression Five on August 22 while 800 miles (1,300 km) east-northeast of Puerto Rico. After moving quickly to the northwest, higher pressures to its north caused it to stall over the central Atlantic Ocean. With favorable conditions aloft and warm water temperatures, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Emily on August 25 as it drifted to the west-southwest, and briefly attained hurricane status the next day.
Emily dropped to tropical storm strength due to a slight increase in vertical shear, but again attained hurricane intensity late on August 27. A break in the subtropical ridge caused the hurricane to turn to the northwest, during which Emily fluctuated in strength between 75 mph (121 km/h) and 85 mph (137 km/h). As it approached the North Carolina coastline, Hurricane Emily rapidly intensified to a 115 mph (185 km/h) major hurricane over very warm water temperatures, shortly before turning to the north in response to a mid-latitude trough. Land was not spared entirely, and the western portion of Emily's 115 mph (185 km/h) eyewall passed over the Outer Banks on September 1. The hurricane accelerated to the east-northeast, and steadily weakened over the north Atlantic Ocean due to increased vertical shear. It turned to the south on the 3rd, and quickly weakened to a tropical depression by the next day. The depression again turned to the northeast and became extratropical on September 6.[1]
Because Hurricane Emily did not make landfall, North Carolina and Virginia avoided substantial damage. Had Hurricane Emily continued its forward track, it would have caused much greater damage, possibly comparable to that of Hurricane Isabel ten years later. Though its damage was minor, rough seas and wind caused three fatalities, all from drowning. Its name was not retired.
In Cape Hatteras, Emily damaged 553 homes beyond repair from its near-direct hit and strong winds. In addition, officials cut power to Hatteras Island fearing that downed power lines could start a fire. The area most affected by Hurricane Emily was Buxton, North Carolina, where a 10.2-foot (3.1 m) storm surge and a maximum of 7.5 inches (190 mm) of rain occurred. On Highway 12, there were reports of sinkholes caused by heavy rains, some of which swallowed up three four-wheel-drive vehicles. Because Emily hit during Labor Day weekend, the tourism industry suffered after Emily, losing $10 million when 160,000 were evacuated from northeastern North Carolina.[2] Storm surge and flooding left 25% of the population of Cape Hatteras homeless, causing Dare County to issue a federal disaster declaration.[3] Emily's high winds uprooted trees, downed power lines, tore off roofs, and, combined with its heavy flooding, caused $35 million (1993 US dollars) in damage, a lesser total than expected. In addition, Emily's limited effects only caused two deaths in North Carolina when two swimmers in Nags Head drowned.
In Newport News, lightning from Emily set a roof on fire in the Lee Hall section of the city while 5,000 residents were left without power. The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel also lost power because of the storm. Emily's light rains in the area were not enough to break a prolonged drought that hampered Virginia.[4] Heavy surf resulted in one person drowning on the coast of Virginia in the days prior to the hurricane's arrival. In addition, a storm surge of 1.2 feet (0.37 m) was reported at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
Due to uncertainty of when and if Emily would make its northeast turn, thousands were evacuated from Virginia through New York, including 750 in Virginia, 100,000 in Maryland, 1000 in Delaware, and 20,000 from Fire Island, New York. The hurricane remained far enough from these locations to cause little, if any damage. In Ocean City, Maryland, 2.8 inches of rain were reported, while Sussex County Airport reported only .01 inches of precipitation.