Hurricane Fran, September 1996

In the chronology

Events in this storyline, in date order. See these 13 dated events in the chronology →

1. 1996 A hurricane destroys the old Thomas Cox Ellis wing of the Dr. C. M. Hughes House The mid-1800s frame house of Thomas Cox Ellis, kept as the kitchen ell when his son-in-law Dr. Claude M. Hughes built his larger house beside it in 1912, was destroyed by a hurricane in 1996.NC State Historic Preservation Office: Cedar Grove Rural Crossroads Historic District, National Register nomination (OR1424, 1998), Section 7 p. 12
2. September 5–6, 1996 Hurricane Fran strikes Orange County Hurricane Fran came ashore on the night of September 5, 1996 and crossed to the Triangle overnight. In Chapel Hill winds topped 70 mph, falling trees caused about 29,000 power outages and UNC cancelled classes, and the Eno at Hillsborough hit a record flow. No one in Orange County was killed.The Daily Tar Heel: front page, September 9, 1996
3. September 6–9, 1996 Hurricane Fran causes about 29,000 power outages in Chapel Hill Trees on power lines caused about 29,000 outages in Chapel Hill; more than 12,000 residents were still without electricity on Sunday evening, September 8, and about 10,000 on Monday afternoon. Duke Power had 1,800 workers plus 1,000 on loan from other utilities in the area and expected to restore Chapel Hill by the middle or end of that week.The Daily Tar Heel: Thousands still in dark after outages, September 9, 1996
4. September 6, 1996 Hurricane Fran fells old trees on UNC's north campus Fran brought down several roughly 200-year-old trees around New West Hall and left North Campus and Cameron Avenue covered in fallen trees, while the Davie Poplar survived. University power came back within hours, and Sitterson Hall opened as a place for people to recharge batteries, get ice and water and shower.UNC Computer Science: Alumni Newsletter Issue 18 (Fall 1996)
5. September 6–10, 1996 Mayor Rosemary Waldorf declares a state of emergency in Chapel Hill after Hurricane Fran Waldorf declared a town state of emergency on Friday, September 6, because of storm damage and power outages, and residents were urged to stay home; UNC cancelled Friday classes at 3 a.m. She partially lifted the emergency at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, September 10, keeping it in force where utility crews were still working.The Daily Tar Heel: Mayor: Chapel Hill no longer in state of emergency, September 11, 1996
6. September 6–9, 1996 OWASA issues a boil-water advisory after Hurricane Fran knocks out its pumping The Orange Water and Sewer Authority told Chapel Hill and Carrboro customers to boil water from Friday evening, September 6, after its University Lake pump station lost power and the system lost pressure, and the wastewater plant flooded. The advisory was lifted at 1:50 p.m. Monday, September 9, after lab tests found no contamination; the area drew emergency water from Durham, and a conservation order was lifted soon after.The Daily Tar Heel: OWASA boil-water advisory lifted, September 10, 1996
7. September 6, 1996 The Eno River at Hillsborough reaches its highest recorded flow during Hurricane Fran The USGS gauge on the Eno River at Hillsborough recorded a peak of 10,800 cubic feet per second at a gauge height of 21.13 feet, the largest peak in its record until Tropical Storm Chantal in July 2025.USGS: Peak streamflow, Eno River at Hillsborough (02085000)
8. September 11, 1996 UNC suspends afternoon classes for a campuswide Hurricane Fran cleanup Chancellor Michael Hooker suspended classes from noon on Wednesday so students, faculty and staff could clear storm debris. Nearly 1,000 students reported to the Old Well within the first hour, working with University forester Kirk Pelland's crews, and Coker Arboretum staff expected their cleanup to run into the winter. People: Michael HookerThe Daily Tar Heel: University community unites to tidy up Fran's mess, September 12, 1996
9. September 12, 1996 A 70-foot oak weakened by Hurricane Fran falls on Venable Hall A 70-foot white oak fell against Venable Hall at about 2:10 p.m., damaging handrails on the building's steps; no one was hurt. University forester Kirk Pelland said Fran's winds and Wednesday's heavy rain had left many old campus trees at risk, and Executive Vice Chancellor Elson Floyd asked people to report damaged trees to the Grounds Division. People: Elson S. FloydThe Daily Tar Heel: front page, September 13, 1996
10. September 17, 1996 Carrboro aldermen take up a tree-cutter registration plan after Hurricane Fran scams The Board of Aldermen discussed asking tree removal workers to identify themselves at town hall before starting work, after Mayor Mike Nelson cited a resident who paid $800 in advance to remove Fran-felled trees and the workers did not return. Staff were to bring a formal proposal to the next meeting. People: Mike Nelson, Hilliard CaldwellThe Daily Tar Heel: Aldermen look to protect residents from tree scams, September 19, 1996
11. September 1996 Chapel Hill building inspectors count homes destroyed and damaged by Hurricane Fran The town's Building Inspection Department reported four homes near Airport Road, Homestead Road and Culbreth Road destroyed, 391 homes with major damage and 222 with minor damage.The Daily Tar Heel: Mayor: Chapel Hill no longer in state of emergency, September 11, 1996
12. 1996–1998 Duke Forest closes and salvages timber after Hurricane Fran Fran brought down more than 1,400 trees across 35 miles of Duke Forest roads, damaged the Bobby Ross Jr. Memorial Picnic Shelter and a research tower in the Blackwood Division, and kept parts of the forest closed for three to six months. A helicopter crew salvaged about 800,000 board feet from 163 acres within two weeks, and salvage through summer 1998 recovered 2 million board feet from 540 acres, worth about $260,000.Duke Forest: Hurricane Fran: Looking Back after 25 Years