Sadly, they note, the outcome would be the same.
Despite more than a half-century's advances in technology, communication and the lessons learned from other storms, there is only so much people can do to prepare for a tropical buzz saw with a two-story storm surge and winds of 140 mph.
"We've come light-years in terms of prediction and preparation," said Gene Booth, Cumberland County Emergency Management coordinator. "But ultimately, there would still be a tremendous amount of damage.
"The biggest difference now is we have planning in place. Back then, there wasn't the level of planning because there wasn't a history of anything like Hazel."
Time and a lack of coordinated communication were two of the major reasons for the chaotic response in 1954. Many survivors' stories of the legendary storm include the phrase, "We didn't know anything was coming."
"I don't think you'd hear that from anyone now, if a storm like Hazel was approaching," Booth said. "Even (Hurricane) Hugo, which was 25 years ago, had plenty of warning, and things have gotten much better since then."
With automated individual notification systems such as Cumberland County's CodeRed, satellite observations and round-the-clock weather updates, "There's no way a Hazel could sneak up on us," he said.
Along the coast, building codes have been upgraded three times since Hazel essentially wiped the southern beaches clean. Most beach construction in 1954 was simple cinder-block buildings, easily demolished by the wind and waves. A study by Sea Grant researchers shows that damage to the coast, while severe, would not be catastrophic. Modern construction practices, with elevated structures and 8-foot pilings, would enhance survival.
For those fleeing the storm, evacuation routes from the coast are well-marked, with interior towns along Interstate 95 (which didn't exist in Hazel's day) such as Fayetteville and Lumberton the primary arrival points.
"We have designated shelters, like the Smith Recreation Center, available," Booth said. "And, if necessary, secondary evacuation centers farther inland can be opened."
Bill Hammond, the county maintenance engineer, said the N.C. Department of Transportation has county-by-county response programs for getting evacuees out. Even more critical is getting response crews and eventually evacuees, back in.
Utility companies have long developed cooperative recovery programs to minimize service disruption. Relief agencies, such as the Salvation Army and American Red Cross, have developed response programs that were not in place for Hazel.
The biggest concern for response officials is how residents would react. The last major storm, Hurricane Fran in 1996, was not as powerful as Hazel but still knocked out power for more than a week in places.
"All the advances in preparation won't matter if people aren't prepared," Booth said. "Another Hurricane Hazel would produce astronomical damage. There are a lot more people here now, and getting everything put back together would take a long time.
"The recovery from such a storm could take years. Look at Katrina in New Orleans. Another Hazel could be just as devastating.
"No matter how far we've come, it would be a long, hard road to recover."
©2014 The Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, N.C.). Distributed by MCT Information Services.
