Hurricane Diana (1984)

Hurricane Diana was the first tropical cyclone to produce hurricane-force winds at a nuclear power plant. The ninth tropical cyclone, fourth named storm, first hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 1984 Atlantic hurricane season, Diana developed just north of the Bahamas on September 8 from an extratropical cyclone. After initially moving westward towards east-central Florida, the storm turned northward and paralleled the coastline. Diana intensified into a hurricane on September 11 and continued to strengthen, peaking as a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 km/h) on the following day. After drifting offshore the Carolinas, Diana weakened and then made landfall near Cape Fear, North Carolina, as a Category 2 hurricane on September 13. The cyclone quickly weakened to a tropical storm and curved back out to sea, heading northeast until it became extratropical near Newfoundland on September 16.

Watches and warnings were issued for the storm along the East Coast of the United States between eastern Florida and Virginia. Diana brought abnormally high tides, strong winds, and heavy rains to parts of the Carolinas. Significant beach erosion impacted Horry County, South Carolina, and several counties in North Carolina. A few counties in the latter – Duplin, Pender, and Sampson – experienced 100-year flood events. The Brunswick Nuclear Generating Station reported hurricane-force winds, but no damage to the plant itself. Diana demolished 68 homes and extensively damaged 325 others in North Carolina. Throughout the United States, damages totaled at least $65.5 million (1984 USD) and five people died, all due to indirect causes. Damage to agriculture represented about $26.5 million of that figure. Another death occurred in Atlantic Canada after waves swept two people off a ship offshore Nova Scotia.