| 15th Anniversary of Hurricane Hugo |
| (Columbia) - On this day in history,
September 21, 1989, late in the evening, Hurricane Hugo hit the U.S.
mainland at Charleston. Approximately 500,000 residents evacuated their coastal homes in anticipation of the storm that had already devastated a number of Caribbean islands. With its arrival, Hugo brought 135-miles per hour winds and set off a 17-foot tidal surge that swept through Charleston harbor. In Hugo's path trees were uprooted, electric and telephone lines were severed and houses were destroyed by winds and falling trees. Twenty-eight storm-related deaths were reported. These deaths were mostly due to falling trees and collapsed buildings. Total damages were estimated at $4 billion. The small barrier islands off the South Carolina coast endured the worst damage from the storm and many of these islands were virtually leveled by the storm. The following day, President Bush designated seven South Carolina counties as federal disaster areas. |