Hurricane Hugo

Hurricane Hugo was the most devastating hurricane to affect South Carolina in the 20th century. After developing in the far eastern Atlantic and causing major damage in the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, Hurricane Hugo (Category 4) made landfall near Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, at 11 p.m. on Sept. 21, 1989. The hurricane caused 13 directly related deaths, 22 indirectly related deaths and injured several hundred people in S.C. Damage within the Palmetto State from Hugo has been estimated to exceed $7 billion, including $2 billion in crop damages.

Damage within the Palmetto State from Hugo has been estimated to exceed $7 billion.

Around midnight on Sept. 22, 1989, Hurricane Hugo made landfall near Sullivan's Island as a Category 4 storm, with estimated sustained wind speeds of 140 mph. For hours, those in Hugo's path sat in the darkness, listening as the fierce wind whipped at their homes and the sound of trees cracking under the force of the relentless gales. When day broke that morning, residents that stayed behind walked out to survey the damage.  

Hurricane Hugo had devastating impacts to the S.C. coast, as well much of the state inland. Intense winds caused the most damage, uprooting and snapping trees, and damaging buildings. Fallen trees brought down power lines. Portions of the State were without power for more than two weeks.

Hugo made landfall around high tide, which combined with a very large  storm surge , and caused substantial damage along some areas of the coast. Homes, roads, and utilities were flooded or swept away.

While most of the damage was associated with wind, localized heavy rain contributed to substantial agricultural losses. At least $2 billion of the $7 billion in estimated losses was from crop damage to peach orchards, pecan trees, cotton, and soybeans.

For more details, the  official Hugo storm report  is available from the S.C. State Climate Office. A table of  measured weather values (wind, pressure, rainfall) is found here . Two newspaper accounts ( here  and  here ) of damage from Hugo, from (The Evening Post and The News and Courier), provide county-by-county overviews of damage.

The sections below detail the impacts made to locations across the state, with photos and videos taken days after landfall, and new interviews with people who witnessed the storm's impacts.

Hugo’s storm surge pushed up the Cooper, Ashley, and Santee Rivers, inundating much of the low-lying areas more than 10 miles upriver. Many of the historic structures in downtown Charleston survived the storm, along with the 300-year old Angel Oak Tree on John’s Island. Much of the area inland sustained significant damage from oak and pine tress, pushed over by strong winds, while closer to the coast, many beachfront communities suffered damage and erosion from the tidal surge.

Hugo's eye passed directly over portions of the Isle of Palms – Mount Pleasant – Sullivan’s Island area, causing widespread devastation across the region. Structures on the barrier islands were demolished or left unsalvageable. Nearly 800 boats that had been moored or harbored in marinas were brought inland as a result of the storm surge.

The image of the Ben Sawyer Bridge, bent and twisted, with one end of the span in the water while the other is in the air, remains as one of the most famous images of the damage from Hugo.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the highest storm surge occurred around the time of high tides in the Bulls Bay - McClellanville - Moores Landing - Sewee Bay area. Hurricane winds pushed the storm surge to a  water level of 20.2 feet  (NGVD 1929). As a comparison, high tides in that area average between 2.5 and 3 feet (NAVD 88). Boats were pushed on shore, many buildings were impacted, and a high school cafeteria where residents of McClellanville were sheltered was flooded.

"It's just unheard of to think of a tidal surge in excess of 20 feet..." -John Frampton, Former SCDNR Director

The State's timber industry suffered severe damage, with an estimated one-third of the forests in Hugo's path destroyed. Twenty-three of the 46 counties reported substantial timber losses, including more than 90% of the timberland damaged in Berkeley, Charleston, Florence, Lee, Sumter and Williamsburg counties. The Francis Marion National Forest lost approximately 9,000 square miles of trees. Only the young growth trees survived the storm and most of the trees in the forest today do not predate 1989. The loss of the old long-leaf pine trees displaced wildlife, including the nesting grounds for one of the largest populations of the red-cockaded woodpecker. Shortly after Hugo, a survey of the population determined that nearly 65% of the birds were either missing or killed, decimating the local clusters of the species.

Along the South Carolina Grand Strand, bent power poles and debris from destroyed homes and businesses littered the sand choked oceanfront roads from south of Pawley’s Island to the north of Myrtle Beach. The damage was not contained to the coast, as locations on the inland side of US 17 received damage from Hugo’s intense winds. 

“The impacts were huge, and it was obvious that a lot of people were suffering property damage…” – Mark Bara

Three hours after Hugo made landfall along the South Carolina Coast, the storm maintained its hurricane status as it rapidly moved inland. Portions of the Midlands felt the storm’s fierce winds, with hurricane-force wind gusts (87 mph) reported as far inland as Charlotte, North Carolina, nearly 200 miles from the coast.

A  barometer  located in the South Carolina State Climatology Office, housed at the Capital Center Building in downtown Columbia during the passage of Hugo, recorded a minimum pressure of 971.2 mb (28.68 in Hg.), and an  anemometer  atop the building recorded a maximum wind gust of 99 mph. 

There were areas along Hugo's track across the coastal plain where almost every tree had been snapped off or uprooted. Falling trees brought down powerlines, crushed cars and blocked roads. High winds shattered un-boarded windows, peeled back roofs from homes and buildings, overturned or destroyed mobile homes

Because Hugo moved through the State at a high rate of speed, there was no widespread reported flooding. The highest rainfall totals associated with the storm were measured in the Lowcountry, with a storm total maximum of 10.82 inches on Edisto Island. Widespread totals in the Pee Dee and Midlands did not exceed four inches.

“For this threat there was enough lead time to distribute warnings and emphasize the danger. Those messages allowed for a large scale and life-saving evacuation away from a vulnerable coast. [And] Because Hugo’s circulation center landfalled several miles northeast of Charleston Harbor and in a less populated area, the Peninsula avoided the most intense winds and the record setting 20-foot tidal surge that accompanied the upper right portion of the eyewall.” – Wes Tyler

It’s no secret that the world of communication has changed tremendously since 1989, but how exactly has it improved?

The use of social media is a big advantage to getting the word out now, as we just saw with Hurricane Dorian. Meteorologists can go on Facebook Live literally any time of the day to explain any update or a change in a storm’s track.

Government agencies, such as the  South Carolina Emergency Management Division  and  South Carolina Department of Natural Resources  can use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social apps to communicate any closures, alerts, warning and other important messages instantly.

Unlike 30 years ago, people don’t have to wait until the 6 p.m. newscast or the morning paper to get the information they should have known hours ago, which helps with better protecting property and life.

Social media and smartphones have been proven excellent tools in life-saving communication; however, it has contributed greatly to the spread of misinformation. You can help prevent this by sharing information from reputable sources, such as the  National Hurricane Center  and other government agencies.

Maria Cox Lamm, the SCDNR's Flood Mitigation program director, has the information that makes it possible for warnings and rescues to happen fast. By collecting data during every flood-related event, Lamm is able to build computer models that predict where waters will rise, when and by how much. With this precision data, the SCDNR Law Enforcement Division is better able to calculate where to place resources ahead of a storm and when to deploy personnel during a very fluid, changing event.

"The Flood Mitigation Program works extensively with SCDNR law enforcement to ensure they have as much information as we can provide to assist them in planning their response and for staging resources," Lamm said.

With every rain event, data also pours in from a highly sophisticated and strategically-placed network of river and stream gauges that feeds real-time water-level reports to the SCDNR's team of scientists and first responders. This advanced technology allows precise preparation and response when the rain starts to fall.

The best time to prepare for a hurricane is before the season begins on June 1. The peak of hurricane season occurs near the beginning of September, and the hurricane season comes to an end on Nov. 30. If you have not taken actions to prepare, here are some tips to help you get started.

• Know your risk to hurricane hazards, including storm surge, inland flooding, tornadoes, strong wind, rip currents and large waves.
• Develop an evacuation plan based on your evacuation zone and needs.
• Assemble a disaster supply kit, including food and water for each person in your household for three days. Make sure to fill any prescriptions and keep extra cash on hand.
• Take time to strengthen your home against strong winds, such as cover windows, trim trees, and secure loose outdoor items.
• Take pictures and videos of your valuables to detail them for insurance purposes and make sure to keep your important documents together for quick access.
• Write down your plan. By doing so, it will help you avoid mistakes and quickly enact your plan in the event of an emergency.

•  SCDNR Hugo Photo Gallery 
•  South Carolina Emergency Management Division  (SCEMD)
• SCEMD's  Hurricane Guide 
• SCEMD'S  Emergency Planning Guides 
•  South Carolina Department of Natural Resources  (SCDNR)
•  South Carolina State Climatology Office  (SCO)
• South Carolina  Hurricane Viewer 
•  National Hurricane Center  (NHC)

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources expresses its special thanks to everyone involved with Hurricane Hugo’s 30th Anniversary StoryMap. 

The completion of this project could not have been accomplished without the support from former SCDNR employees and partners, as well as those currently working within the agency. 

Through the dedication and hard work of everyone involved in this project, an important piece of South Carolina’s history has been made available to all.