NHC AL061996 · Atlantic basin
Hurricane Fran (1996)
August 23, 1996 – September 10, 1996
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
Hurricane Fran peaked at Category 3 with 121 mph sustained winds and passed within 75 miles of 359 US cities, 125 of them while still at hurricane strength.
Fran in the record
HURDAT2 tracks Fran for 18 days, from August 23, 1996 to September 10, 1996. Its first position, at 14.0°N 21.0°W, records it as a tropical depression; its last, at 46.7°N 70.0°W, as an extratropical cyclone. It reached tropical-storm strength on August 27, hurricane strength on August 29 and major-hurricane strength on September 4. Its peak was 121 mph (105 knots), Category 3, on September 4, and its lowest central pressure was 946 millibars on September 5. It spent about 7 days at hurricane strength. HURDAT2 marks a landfall within 50 miles of a US city on this site: on September 6 at 115 mph (Category 3), 5 miles from Southport, NC. Its centre passed within 75 miles of 359 US cities, in 3 states, most in North Carolina (244) and Virginia (93). The strongest pass was 115 mph (Category 3) 55 miles from Myrtle Beach, SC; the centre came closest to Morrisville, NC, 1 mile away. 125 of the cities had it at hurricane strength at the closest point, 13 at major-hurricane strength. It reached more US cities than 74% of the 737 storms on this site, and ranks 3rd of the 5 storms of 1996 here.
- Peak strength
- Category 3
- Cities within 75 mi
- 359
- At hurricane strength
- 125
- States
- 3
121 mph
when closest
Cities Fran passed near, strongest first
South Carolina (22)
- Myrtle BeachCategory 3 · 55 mi
- Surfside BeachCategory 3 · 57 mi
- Murrells InletCategory 3 · 60 mi
- Pawleys IslandCategory 3 · 67 mi
- North Myrtle BeachCategory 3 · 38 mi
- Little RiverCategory 2 · 34 mi
- LongsCategory 2 · 39 mi
- ConwayCategory 2 · 57 mi
- LorisCategory 2 · 43 mi
- AynorCategory 2 · 58 mi
- Galivants FerryCategory 2 · 60 mi
- GreshamCategory 2 · 70 mi
- Green SeaCategory 2 · 43 mi
- NicholsCategory 2 · 50 mi
- MullinsCategory 2 · 57 mi
- MarionCategory 2 · 65 mi
- Lake ViewCategory 1 · 49 mi
- LattaCategory 1 · 64 mi
- DillonCategory 1 · 57 mi
- HamerCategory 1 · 53 mi
- Mc CollCategory 1 · 59 mi
- BennettsvilleCategory 1 · 67 mi
North Carolina (244)
- Oak IslandCategory 3 · 6 mi
- Kure BeachCategory 3 · 7 mi
- SouthportCategory 3 · 1 mi
- Carolina BeachCategory 3 · 9 mi
- BoliviaCategory 3 · 7 mi
- SupplyCategory 3 · 14 mi
- Ocean Isle BeachCategory 3 · 23 mi
- Sunset BeachCategory 3 · 27 mi
- WinnabowCategory 2 · 3 mi
- ShallotteCategory 2 · 18 mi
- Wrightsville BeachCategory 2 · 19 mi
- CalabashCategory 2 · 30 mi
- WilmingtonCategory 2 · 15 mi
- LelandCategory 2 · 7 mi
- AshCategory 2 · 20 mi
- Castle HayneCategory 2 · 17 mi
- HampsteadCategory 2 · 32 mi
- Holly RidgeCategory 2 · 39 mi
- Sneads FerryCategory 2 · 48 mi
- Emerald IsleCategory 2 · 73 mi
- NakinaCategory 2 · 29 mi
- DelcoCategory 2 · 3 mi
- Rocky PointCategory 2 · 21 mi
- Camp LejeuneCategory 2 · 55 mi
- HubertCategory 2 · 63 mi
- SwansboroCategory 2 · 69 mi
- Tabor CityCategory 2 · 37 mi
- RiegelwoodCategory 2 · 2 mi
- BoltonCategory 2 · 8 mi
- CurrieCategory 2 · 9 mi
- Midway ParkCategory 2 · 58 mi
- Lake WaccamawCategory 2 · 15 mi
- BurgawCategory 2 · 22 mi
- Tarawa TerraceCategory 2 · 56 mi
- WhitevilleCategory 2 · 25 mi
- Maple HillCategory 2 · 40 mi
- JacksonvilleCategory 2 · 55 mi
- AtkinsonCategory 2 · 8 mi
- ChadbournCategory 2 · 32 mi
- MaysvilleCategory 2 · 68 mi
- WillardCategory 1 · 18 mi
- ClarktonCategory 1 · 17 mi
- WallaceCategory 1 · 25 mi
- RichlandsCategory 1 · 50 mi
- HarrellsCategory 1 · 5 mi
- TeacheyCategory 1 · 24 mi
- BladenboroCategory 1 · 22 mi
- Rose HillCategory 1 · 24 mi
- BeulavilleCategory 1 · 40 mi
- TrentonCategory 1 · 61 mi
- ElizabethtownCategory 1 · 10 mi
- FairmontCategory 1 · 43 mi
- GarlandCategory 1 · 4 mi
- MagnoliaCategory 1 · 25 mi
- Pink HillCategory 1 · 46 mi
- KenansvilleCategory 1 · 33 mi
- Cove CityCategory 1 · 71 mi
- WarsawCategory 1 · 26 mi
- LumbertonCategory 1 · 32 mi
- Deep RunCategory 1 · 50 mi
and 184 more
Virginia (93)
- BraceyTropical storm · 47 mi
- BoydtonTropical storm · 37 mi
- AltonTropical storm · 4 mi
- ClarksvilleTropical storm · 24 mi
- La CrosseTropical storm · 50 mi
- BrodnaxTropical storm · 55 mi
- LawrencevilleTropical storm · 65 mi
- RinggoldTropical storm · 17 mi
- DanvilleTropical storm · 24 mi
- South HillTropical storm · 46 mi
- South BostonTropical storm · 4 mi
- HalifaxTropical storm · 5 mi
- Chase CityTropical storm · 31 mi
- RidgewayTropical storm · 49 mi
- KenbridgeTropical storm · 51 mi
- MonroeTropical storm · 62 mi
- AmherstTropical storm · 63 mi
- BuchananTropical storm · 69 mi
- ArringtonTropical storm · 69 mi
- GlasgowTropical storm · 70 mi
- TroutvilleTropical storm · 71 mi
- Mc KenneyTropical storm · 72 mi
- ShipmanTropical storm · 73 mi
- FincastleTropical storm · 74 mi
- Buena VistaTropical storm · 74 mi
- BlairsTropical storm · 19 mi
- Dry ForkTropical storm · 26 mi
- Drakes BranchTropical storm · 29 mi
- AxtonTropical storm · 38 mi
- VictoriaTropical storm · 46 mi
- MartinsvilleTropical storm · 47 mi
- CollinsvilleTropical storm · 49 mi
- FieldaleTropical storm · 51 mi
- BlackstoneTropical storm · 60 mi
- Patrick SpringsTropical storm · 61 mi
- StuartTropical storm · 67 mi
- NathalieTropical storm · 5 mi
- GretnaTropical storm · 13 mi
- ChathamTropical storm · 22 mi
- Charlotte Court HouseTropical storm · 26 mi
- KeysvilleTropical storm · 34 mi
- MeherrinTropical storm · 40 mi
- BurkevilleTropical storm · 50 mi
- BassettTropical storm · 53 mi
- CreweTropical storm · 55 mi
- GladysTropical storm · 4 mi
- AltavistaTropical storm · 8 mi
- HurtTropical storm · 10 mi
- BrooknealTropical storm · 11 mi
- PenhookTropical storm · 30 mi
- Glade HillTropical storm · 35 mi
- Rocky MountTropical storm · 43 mi
- FerrumTropical storm · 54 mi
- JetersvilleTropical storm · 57 mi
- Amelia Court HouseTropical storm · 66 mi
- FloydTropical storm · 67 mi
- RustburgTropical storm · 3 mi
- EvingtonTropical storm · 6 mi
- Lynch StationTropical storm · 13 mi
- Spout SpringTropical storm · 15 mi
and 33 more
Other storms of the 1996 season
About this record
The track is the National Hurricane Center's best-track record, revised after the season with every observation available. Strength at a city is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, not the wind that city measured.