Due to nearby Hurricane Edouard, the depression remained disorganized as it tracked westward, though it eventually intensified into Tropical Storm Fran on August 27.

While heading west-northwestward, Fran steadily strengthened into a hurricane on August 29, but weakened back to a tropical storm on the following day.

Thereafter, Fran weakened slightly, before it made landfall near Cape Fear, North Carolina early on September 6.

[1][2] Hurricane Fran originated from a tropical wave that moved off the western coast of Africa, entering the Atlantic Ocean, on August 22, 1996.

After further development, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) initiated advisories on the system around 8:00 am EDT on August 23, designating it as Tropical Depression Six.

The westward motion and lack of development were attributed to the low-level inflow from Hurricane Edouard located roughly 850 mi (1,370 km) west-northwest of the depression.

However, this weakening was short-lived and Fran re-attained hurricane status the following day as Edouard moved towards the Mid-Atlantic coastline.

Passing roughly 115 mi (185 km) east of the Bahamas, Fran attained its peak intensity on September 5 with winds of 120 mph (195 km/h) and a barometric pressure of 946 mbar (hPa; 27.94 inHg).

Around 7:30  PM EDT on Thursday, September 5,[6] the center of Hurricane Fran made landfall near Cape Fear, North Carolina with sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h).

Continuing on a northwestern track, the remnants of Fran persisted as a tropical depression through September 8, at which time it transitioned into an extratropical cyclone over southern Ontario.

After completing this transition, Fran turned northeastward and tracked near the Canadian-United States border before being absorbed by a frontal system on September 10.

On September 4, a tropical storm warning was issued, but only from Brunswick, Georgia to Flagler Beach, Florida, located in the northern parts of the state.

[9] Before the hurricane neared the coast, civil defense authorities conducted statewide conference calls in order to create preliminary plans in case Fran caused impacts on Florida.

The most severe damage took place in North Carolina where 14 people died, one of which was from a heart attack, and the storm left over $2.4 billion in losses.

Prior to moving over The Carolinas, large swells produced by Hurricane Fran impacted the Florida coastline.

Several areas reported winds in excess of 40 mph (64 km/h), leading to numerous downed trees and power lines.

[16] In Marlboro County, roughly 3,200 people were left without power and two sheriffs were injured after their car struck a fallen tree.

Its 12-foot storm surge carried away a temporary North Topsail Beach police station and town hall, housed in a double-wide trailer since Hurricane Bertha's rampage across the same area in July.

Hurricane Fran's thrashing of North Carolina aggravated the state's problems caused by numerous weather disasters in 1996.

Fran also destroyed the basketball gym on the campus of St. Andrews College in Laurinburg, North Carolina as well as 3 piers in Surf City.

Page County, downslope of the 16" of rainfall from Big Meadows, was the hardest hit locality in the state of Virginia with regards to damage.

Bulldog field was flooded for over a week after the storm, until finally the standing water was pumped across U.S. Route 340 back into the Hawksbill Creek.

[23] About 15 Western Pennsylvania counties were impacted by flash flooding as rainfall up to 7 inches (178 mm) caused the Juniata River to overrun its banks.

[22] The remnants of Fran brought moderate to heavy rainfall to parts of eastern Ohio, especially along the coast of Lake Erie, as the storm moved through the region.

[38] Widespread street and basement flooding took place across Lorain County, with some areas reporting standing water several days after Fran's passage.

[3][40] Continuing northward, Fran moved into southern Canada on September 7; however, the outer bands of the storm brought some rainfall to extreme eastern Michigan.

A small area around Boston, Massachusetts received the heaviest rain in the region, peaking at 5.53 in (140 mm) in East Wareham.

Isolated areas of 1 to 2 in (25 to 51 mm) of rain fell across portions of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine before Fran dissipated over eastern Canada on September 8.

[41] In nearby southern Canada, the remnants of Fran had little impact in Ontario, other than causing rain delays in a minor t-ball tournament, producing light to moderate rainfall between 1.8 and 2.6 in (45 and 65 mm).

[43] Because of the damage caused by the hurricane, the name Fran was retired in the spring of 1997 by the World Meteorological Organization, and will never again be used for another North Atlantic tropical cyclone.