Last week half a million people were forced to flee their homes. A brutal hurricane named Fran belted the Carolinas with 115-m.p.h. winds and heavy rains on Thursday. The 145-mile-wide storm tore up trees and ripped steeples off churches. It killed at least 12 people, reminding many of 1989's deadly Hurricane Hugo.

The storm passed over Cape Fear, North Carolina, around 8 p.m. It knocked down power lines and dumped up to 14 inches of rain. More than 1 million people were without power. The hurricane collapsed by midnight, becoming a tropical storm as it headed north.

President Clinton declared North Carolina a disaster area. Barbara Mosley, 49, couldn't agree more. She left her Wilmington, North Carolina, home for a Red Cross shelter to wait out the storm in safety. "I'm just happy to be here and to be able to bring my children," she said.

Daily News from TIME for Kids

September 13, 1996 World Report