A storm that brought unprecedented flooding and destruction to eastern North Carolina soon will be recognized with a North Carolina Highway Historical Marker. The N.C. Historical Marker Program is part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
The marker commemorating Hurricane Floyd will be unveiled Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 11 a.m., in a small, roadside ceremony. The marker will be installed near Powell Park on NC 33 by the Tar River bridge in Princeville, N.C.
The storm made landfall in North Carolina on Sept. 16, 1999, and brought historic flooding to the region, leading to state and federal evacuation reforms.
While significant coastal erosion and structural damage occurred in Brunswick and New Hanover counties, the storm was far less destructive at the coast than many feared. The real disaster unfolded inland during the following hours and days when record-breaking floods spread across eastern North Carolina.
The rain from Floyd fell on an already saturated landscape. Hurricane Dennis had passed over the same area just weeks before, and almost all rivers, creeks, and ditches across the east were at capacity before Floyd arrived. The excess water from Floyd rose dramatically into homes, businesses, factories, farmlands, and highway systems. Eastern North Carolina experienced what some called a 500-year flood, certainly flooding at a level previously unreported.
The rapid rise in floodwater during the first night of the storm caught residents in several eastern counties off guard. Thousands of residents were trapped in their homes or cars, and the effort to save them was extraordinary. Over the following days and weeks, at least 1,500 people were rescued by helicopters and small boats from rooftops, cartops, and treetops.
Floyd caused $6 billion in damages in North Carolina, making it North Carolina’s most costly natural disaster.
For more information about the historical marker, please visit https://www.dncr.nc.gov/blog/2025/09/08/hurricane-floyd-e-134, or call (919) 814-6625.
The Highway Historical Marker Program is a collaboration between the N.C. departments of Natural and Cultural Resources and Transportation.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.
The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.