Climate Changed
Hurricane Florence's Brutal Winds Will Test the Carolinas Solar Boom
- Largest hurricane to hit region since solar boom began in 2014
- Systems designed for 160-mile-per-hour winds to get challenge
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The nation’s second-biggest solar region is facing the first real-time test of its systems, with Hurricane Florence threatening the Carolinas with winds well in excess of 100 miles per hour and torrential rains.
The Category 4 storm was packing 130 mile-per-hour winds (210 kilometer-per-hour) as of Wednesday, with landfall expected by the weekend. While most newer systems are designed to withstand 140 to 160 miles-per-hour winds, the Carolinas haven’t sustained a direct hit by such a large hurricane since its solar boom expanded in 2014.