Hurricane Arthur became the first hurricane since 2012 to make landfall in the continental US, as it slammed its Category 2 winds and storm surge into Cape Hatteras, N.C., in the outer banks Friday morning, NJ.com reports. No major hurricane has come ashore in 3,175 days so far. Knock on wood.
The actual damage from the storm, though, proved much less than some of the most fear-inspiring forecasts. Still, Hurricane Arthur left tens of thousands of people without electricity Friday on the exposed outer banks, then veered out to sea and weakened, creating wet Fourth of July weather along the northeast that wasn’t exactly conducive to outdoor fireworks.
According to the Daily Advance in Elizabeth City, N.C., Hatteras Island took the biggest hit from the storm.
The Washington Post reported a little over a month ago that the 2014 hurricane season, which began officially on June 1 and extends through November 30 in the Atlantic to our east and southeast, is expected to be quiet. The main cause of the anticipated lackluster hurricane season is the El Niño forecast.