Crabtree Creek, Hurricane Fran and Mold After High Water

The NWS gauge on Crabtree Creek at Old Wake Forest Road reached a record 21.9 ft on September 6, 1996, during Hurricane Fran. Minor flooding there starts at 12 ft. Anything floodwater soaked should be dried or removed within about 48 hours to keep mold from following.

Hurricane Fran, 1996

Fran made landfall near Cape Fear around 8:30 p.m. on September 5, 1996, and had weakened to a tropical storm by the time it neared Durham. Raleigh-Durham Airport recorded 8.80 inches of rain and a 79 mph gust. The National Weather Service's account says Crabtree Creek rose seven feet above flood stage, flooding Crabtree Valley Mall and neighborhoods nearby, while thousands of tall oaks came down across Raleigh and damaged power lines and houses.

The creek's flood record

The gauge's highest crests, as listed by NOAA, are 21.9 ft on September 6, 1996; 20.6 ft on June 29, 1973; 19.3 ft on February 2, 1973; 16.8 ft on March 8, 1983; and 16.51 ft on November 13, 2018. More recent high water includes 14.63 ft in October 2021 and 13.59 ft in September 2024, both still marked preliminary. Flood stages at this gauge are 12 ft for minor, 16 ft for moderate and 17 ft for major flooding; at 17 ft, the NWS notes, water reaches the doors of houses on Hodges and Paula Streets.

What floodwater leaves behind

Creek water is not clean water. It carries soil, sewage and debris, so materials it soaks are treated more aggressively than ones wet by a clean supply line. Drywall is usually cut out well above the water line, wet insulation comes out, and carpet and pad that sat in floodwater are generally thrown away. Framing is dried, cleaned and checked with a moisture meter before the walls are closed up again. Furniture and boxes that sat in creek water deserve the same caution: hard items can usually be cleaned, while upholstered pieces and paper goods that stayed wet are often a loss. Our water damage and mold page walks through the first 48 hours step by step.

What to check after high water

• Crawl space: standing water, a soaked vapor barrier, or wet insulation sagging from the floor.
• Slab homes: damp carpet tack strip and swollen baseboards along exterior walls.
• HVAC: ductwork or equipment that sat in water needs a professional look before you run it.
• Your nose: a musty smell several days later means something stayed wet.

If mold has already started, the typical mold remediation costs show what different kinds of jobs run.