According to the “North Carolina Fact Book,” the highest elevation within Wilmington city limits is 38 feet above sea level.
The North Carolina Geological Survey lists two points in New Hanover County with an elevation of 75 feet: one about 3,500 feet north-northwest of the intersection of U.S. 421 and S.R.1524 near Carolina Beach, and one about 2,400 feet north of the intersection of State Roads 1101 and 1218 near Wilmington. The Sugarloaf sand dune in Carolina Beach State Park reaches an elevation of about 50 feet.
The point is, we’re pretty low — nowhere near the 6,684-foot elevation of Mount Mitchell in Yancey County, North Carolina’s highest point. It makes one nervous to consider than storm surges from Hurricane Hugo, in 1989, reached the 20-foot mark off parts of the Sout Carolina coast.
Date posted: July 15, 2009
User-contributed question by:
Anonymous
The 38-foot elevation number for Wilmington is way too low. Both the area near 3rd & Nun Sts, and the area including and around the New Hanover Regional Medical Center are upwards of 55 feet. Sources are Google Earth and older topo maps.