The following information is a detailed preliminary storm report for Hurricane Bertha, July 12, issued by the National Weather Service in Wilmington, N.C., at 4 p.m. ET, July 16, 1996.
All data is for places in North Carolina, unless otherwise noted.
2 p.m. Peak wind gust hit 97 mph between 10 and 11 a.m. Beach erosion Moderate beach erosion occurred with dunes breached on Holden Beach and Masonboro Island. At north end of Wrightsville Beach, Mason Inlet, the inlet much closer to Shell Island Resort, lost 50 feet of land. Flooding Sea water was two feet deep at north end of Carolina beach and at Wrightsville Beach near Holiday Inn. In Brunswick County, beaches had minimal damage.