CHARLESTON, S.C. - They are almost like trains coming into a station on a schedule this hurricane season: Charley, Gaston, Frances, Ivan and now, perhaps, Jeanne.

But while this season's storms have caused damage and angst for South Carolinians, the hurricane by which all others are measured is still Hurricane Hugo.

Tuesday marks the 15th anniversary of one of the most costly hurricanes in U.S. history. Hugo powered ashore northeast of Charleston with 135 mph winds during the night of Sept. 21, 1989.

The screaming winds tossed boats like toys, ripped down beachfront homes on barrier islands and destroyed motels in Myrtle Beach. The swath of destruction extended hundreds of miles inland and essentially blacked out most of eastern South Carolina.

When it had passed and the skies cleared, Hugo had caused $6 billion in damage and claimed 29 lives on the U.S. mainland.

The day after the storm, as bright and sunny a day as anyone could want, gun-toting National Guard troops watched over antique shops whose windows were shattered by Hugo's winds.

That night, driving to the top of the Cooper River Bridge was like driving down a country road. The city and suburbs were pitch black, the only lights were from the car.

The swing bridge connecting the mainland and the barrier islands northeast of Charleston was wrenched on its foundation, and for days islanders could only return by boat to the devastation left by the storm.

As Hugo roared ashore and midnight approached, more than 100 people sought shelter in Lincoln High School up the coast in the tiny fishing village of McClellanville.

As the water rose in the darkness, they climbed first onto the stage and then onto tables on the stage holding their children above the rising water.

About the same time, Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. was somber as the winds whistled outside, tugging at the roof atop City Hall.

"All we can do now is pray," he said quietly to his staff and a few reporters gathered in his candlelit office to ride out the storm.

Fifteen years on, Riley sees Hugo as a defining moment in the history of this 334-year-old city, which has weathered war and fire, storm and earthquake.

"An important lesson of Hugo is that the people of this community - and I think the human spirit - when challenged with something like a natural disaster, their best instincts come forward," he said.

People helped each other "and bravely went on with their lives in rebuilding and didn't complain," he added. "It was a time of great challenge and a time of great human and community achievement."

Dealing with hurricanes and storms comes with coastal living, Riley said.

As if a reminder, a storm with rolling thunder and lightning sent hundreds scurrying for shelter and abruptly ended a candlelight observance outside City Hall marking the first anniversary of Hugo in 1990.

On Friday, there was another reminder as the mayor again summoned his staff for a meeting to get the latest on Jeanne, in case still another hurricane threatens the coast in the coming days.

Weathering Hugo, he said, helps in preparing for the next storm over the horizon.

"Having been through it, you know the reality of it. You know the aftermath. You have been there - the lost power and the challenges of rebuilding," he said. "For those of us here, still after 15 years, it's still rather fresh in our minds."