Hurricane Bonnie came ashore just at or below major hurricane intensity, bringing with it intense wind gusts of up to in North Carolina, though offshore at the Frying Pan Shoals Light Tower, winds reached . The strongest winds were found in the precursor rainbands, where localized downbursts caused severe damage. Sustained winds officially peaked at at Elizabeth City, where gusts reached . Rainfall was heavy as a result of the storm's slow movement, peaking at at Jacksonville, while several totals of over were reported. However, because the area had been experiencing drought conditions, the flooding was not as severe as it could have potentially been. The most significant flooding occurred near the Cape Fear River, where high waters were reported. The highest storm surge occurred along the beaches of Brunswick County, mostly reaching above average. Elsewhere, flooding was mostly limited to locations with poor drainage and low-lying areas. Coastal flooding was not widespread, though surge in the Pungo River flooded several local homes. Other coastal flooding was reported in various harbors and coastal cities. Part of North Carolina Highway 12 was flooded and closed on Hatteras Island due to tidal flooding. At North Topsail Beach, many of the protective dunes constructed after Hurricane Fran in 1996 were destroyed, and along the Bogue Banks, tens of thousands of tires, part of an artificial reef, were washed ashore.