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Hurricane Fran ripped through North Carolina in September 1996, sustaining winds of 75 mph, sometimes 
lasting for 10 hours with top speeds reaching 110 mph. The storm raged up the East Coast, killing at least 17 people and leaving thousands more stranded. The American Red Cross had 275 shelters house more than 30,000 people. And still it wasn't enough.
The wind peeled roofs, tore up buildings, flattened crops, uprooted trees and tossed them onto nearby houses. It ripped up power poles, scattering them like matchsticks. Because homes were destroyed, marinas demolished and businesses flooded, it was clear that Hurricane Fran would not soon be forgotten. The devastation was the worst since Hurricane Hazel in 1954.
Goldsboro, North Carolina, a city of 50,000, was shut down for two or three days with over 50% of the roads impassable. Trees and debris lay across the streets. It is estimated that over 250,000 trees fell due to Fran. 
Electricity and phone services were unavailable for over a week. Hundreds stood in line after the storm to stock up on nonperishables and water.
Cleanup began as soon as the last trace of Hurricane Fran scattered. Power and phone companies worked around the clock to restore service to the area. There were large piles of wood and debris in front of virtually every home. Those who had been evacuated or chose to leave returned and were devastated at the destruction of their homes and communities. Neighbors came together in an effort to pick up the pieces and rebuild what was damaged or destroyed.
Broken tree limbs forced down damaged vertical rails.
Wind forces were so great that pine cones from nearby trees were embedded on top of the fence.
The Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro was not without its own damage. But one thing on the base seemed virtually untouched by Frantic Fran: the security fence around the perimeter of the base. The fence consisted of Basteel metal fence paneling, a 5,000' fencing contract for the base that was underway when Fran swept through Goldsboro. Wes Seegar, the Basteel contractor and owner of Seegar's Fence Company, went to inspect the damage of the fence the day after Fran ended. The Basteel fence came through completely unscathed.
Seegar also inspected a section of 8-year-old Basteel metal fence. There was virtually no difference in color or structure between the old and new sections. Hurricane damage to the older section was limited to approximately 35 individual pickets that were blown off in a 1,000'-section. According to Seegar, the AFB was so impressed by the fence that it considered extending the order.
"I have been through 9 or 10 hurricanes in my life, and this has been the most severe by far. After Hurricane Fran, I came to inspect the
fence, expecting the worst. Much to my surprise, I saw no damage, no deflection, and the fence had not learned over at all. Even more to my surprise, there wasn't a single picket that had blown off!"
"We did receive somewhere between 6,000 and 8,000 repair calls for other fencing products since the storm, so you can see why we are impressed with the Basteel metal fence."
"We were very pleased with how durable the Basteel metal fence was and how well it withstood the wind and storm. This product (with the 4" post) demonstrated an incredible amount of wind resistance. Nothing comparable held up to Fran like Basteel's metal fence."
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