Episode 10: Season Finale:   Hurricane Season in Wilmington, NC – Should You Be Worried?

Hurricanes are one of the first things people ask about when they're thinking about moving to Wilmington, North Carolina. So instead of giving you a weather report, I'm giving you something better—my perspective.

I've lived in the Wilmington area my entire life, and I've experienced everything from tropical storms to major hurricanes like Fran and Florence. In this episode, I share what it was really like living through those storms, what I've learned over the years, and why respecting hurricane season is important without letting it scare you away from coastal living.

In the season finaly of Port City Living, We'll talk about:

• My personal memories of Hurricane Fran (1996) and Hurricane Florence (2018)
• Why preparation matters more than panic
• Flood insurance and why it's worth considering—even if you're not in a designated flood zone
• What hurricane season is actually like for those of us who call the North Carolina coast home
• Why I still believe Wilmington is one of the best places to live

If you've ever wondered what it's really like to live on the coast during hurricane season, this episode is for you.

Helpful Resources & Hurricane Information

🌀 National Hurricane Center (Current storms, forecasts & preparedness)
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

🌦️ National Weather Service – Wilmington, NC
https://www.weather.gov/ilm/

📊 Top 20 Strongest Storms in Wilmington History
https://www.weather.gov/ilm/Top_20_Storms

A few interesting facts:
• Hurricane Fran made landfall near Cape Fear on September 5, 1996, producing wind gusts over 100 mph in parts of southeastern North Carolina.

• Hurricane Floyd (1999) remains the strongest storm to directly impact Wilmington based on barometric pressure and produced catastrophic inland flooding across eastern North Carolina.

• Hurricane Florence made landfall near Wrightsville Beach on September 14, 2018, becoming the wettest weather event in Wilmington's recorded history with 23.02 inches of rain measured at Wilmington International Airport.

Thanks for listening to Port City Living! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who's thinking about making Wilmington home.

Hurricane season is part of life in Wilmington, North Carolina — but it’s not always as dramatic as people imagine, and it’s definitely not something you can fully understand from a weather map.

In this episode of Port City Living, Billy shares what hurricane season feels like from the perspective of someone who grew up here, lived through storms like Fran and Florence, and has watched the Wilmington area change over the years.

This is a conversation about coastal living, local memory, storm anxiety, preparation without panic, and the strange rhythm of waiting, watching, wondering, and sometimes realizing the storm had other plans.

If you’re new to Wilmington, thinking about moving to the coast, or just curious about what hurricane season is really like here, this episode offers a personal, honest look at living with hurricanes in southeastern North Carolina.

There's a place in Wilmington you've almost certainly walked, jogged, or paddled around — and most people have no idea what they're really standing on.

Before it became one of the most beloved green spaces in the city, it was a rice plantation worked by enslaved people. Over the years it's been a millpond, an amusement park, a small-town zoo, and the backdrop for one very wild night involving a runaway circus elephant. And that scenic five-mile road you love so much? It was built by men in chains during the Great Depression.

In this episode, I dig into the layered, unfiltered history of Greenfield Lake — the beauty of it and the weight of it — and why this old millpond just might be the reason Wilmington still has a soul.

It started with a mediocre hotdog at a brand new Sheetz and a gas station literally across the street — and it got me thinking. Wilmington already has well over 130 gas stations across New Hanover County alone, from the big national chains to the mom and pop stores that have been part of this community for decades. And yet somehow, more keep coming. In this episode I dig into exactly what is being built right now across this city, why our explosive population growth has made us a prime target for billion dollar convenience store chains, the surprising truth about how little money these companies actually make on gas, why prices differ from one station to the next and whether that should change, what happens to the little guy when corporate money moves in, and the unexpected reason why electric vehicles are actually accelerating the gas station boom rather than slowing it down. 

Check out my youtube channel and other fun stuff here:  https://linktr.ee/portcitylivingnc

 Wilmington has always had a creative soul — and in this episode I take you inside a thriving art scene that most people don't even know exists in their own backyard. I'll show you where to find it, why it matters, and make a passionate case for why supporting local artists is more important than ever as this city continues to grow and change. 
https://cameronartmuseum.org/
https://www.artswilmington.org/
https://www.instagram.com/acmeartstudios/
https://www.theartworks.co/

Find my youtube channel and other fun things here:   https://linktr.ee/portcitylivingnc

Born in 1892 with visions she couldn't explain, Minnie Evans spent decades as a gatekeeper at Airlie Gardens in Wilmington, North Carolina — painting dreams on scraps of paper and discarded window shades. Her work eventually captured the attention of the entire art world. Today her paintings hang in some of the most prestigious museums in the country. This is the story of one of Wilmington's most extraordinary souls — and why her legacy still matters. 
https://high.org/exhibition/minnie-evans/
https://airliegardens.org/

https://linktr.ee/portcitylivingnc

Wilmington, NC is one of the most beautiful cities on the East Coast. But does anyone actually work here? In this episode of Port City Living, we dig into the real economic story behind the city — the history, the hustle, and the hard truth. From the railroad that made Wilmington the largest city in North Carolina, to the wage gap that still exists today, to the biggest economic development announcement in regional history that was supposed to open in November 2025 and still isn't open — we're getting into all of it. Unfiltered. 
https://flyilm.com/wings-over-carolina-beach/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilmington_and_Weldon_Railroad

Wilmington, NC doesn't just have festivals. It has an obsession.

From the grandest flower show in the South to an internationally recognized film festival most locals have never heard of — this city celebrates harder than you'd expect for its size. And there's a reason for that.

In this episode we dig into the festival culture of Wilmington — what it says about this community, what it means for the city's economy, and why the people who make these events happen deserve a lot more credit than they get.

Whether you're a longtime local or thinking about making the move — this one will make you love this city a little more.

🎧 Port City Living. Wilmington. Unfiltered.

You've heard of snowbirds. But have you heard of Halfbacks?

They leave the cold winters and high taxes of the northeast, head straight to Florida... and then realize Florida is a lot. So they move halfway back. And somehow — every single time — they end up right here in Wilmington, NC.

In this episode I'm breaking down the Halfback phenomenon — who they are, why they come, what surprises them when they get here, and what locals really think about it. Spoiler: we've actually been dealing with this since the 1800s. This isn't new. It's just louder now.

Plus — Feast Wilmington is coming up on March 28th. If you haven't been, you need to go. I'll tell you why.

This is Port City Living. Wilmington. Unfiltered.

🎙️ LISTEN ON PODCAST: Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts — search Port City Living NC

📲 FOLLOW ALONG: Instagram: @billcorbettrealtor Facebook: Port City Living All links: linktr.ee/portcitylivingnc

🏡 THINKING ABOUT MOVING TO WILMINGTON? 910-409-7818 Bill Corbett | Realtor® | Port City Living at Fathom Realty

🔔 SUBSCRIBE — new episodes every two weeks. Because somebody has to tell you the real story about this place. Might as well be me.

 Welcome to Season 3. This Rants & Raves episode is all Wilmington: traffic, One Tree Hill, Cape Fear Community College (CFCC), and K38. Billy and Brad keep it honest—what’s annoying, what’s great, and what’s worth knowing if you’re trying to understand the city beyond the hype.