Hurricane Bonnie was a tropical cyclone that made landfall in North Carolina, inflicting severe crop damage. The second named storm, first hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season, Bonnie developed from a tropical wave that emerged off the coast of Africa on August 14. The wave gradually developed, and the system was designated a tropical depression on August 19. The depression began tracking towards the west-northwest, and became a tropical storm the next day. On August 22, Bonnie was upgraded to a hurricane, with a well-defined eye. The storm peaked as a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, and around the same time, the storm slowed and turned more towards the north-northwest. A large and powerful cyclone, Bonnie moved ashore in North Carolina early on August 27, slowing as it turned northeast. After briefly losing hurricane status, the storm moved offshore and regained Category 1-force winds, although it weakened again on entering cooler waters. Category 3 hurricane: peak winds of 115 mph (100 knots), lowest pressure 954 mb. August 19 – August 31, 1998. Landfall: August 27 at 110 mph, 34.4°N 77.7°W. Accumulated cyclone energy: 24.8. Wiki link Track: NOAA National Hurricane Center, HURDAT2 best track AL021998 (public domain).