On the Atlantic coast, hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Hurricane-force storms can occur earlier or later than those dates, but over time, 97 percent of tropical cyclone activity falls within this period.

Hurricanes affecting Southeastern North Carolina will most frequently strike between late August and mid-to-late September, noted Jay Barnes, author of “North Carolina’s Hurricane History.” However, Hurricane Hazel, a Category 4 hurricane that destroyed or washed away virtually every home in Long Beach, Holden Beach [Map this] and Ocean Isle Beach, made landfall near Calabash as late as Oct. 15, 1954.

The earliest known hurricane on the North Carolina coast struck on June 3, 1825; the latest crossed Carteret County on Dec. 2, 1925.

Date posted: April 1, 2009