Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Object Type |
Collection |
Title |
Hurricane Hugo Damage Assessment Survey |
Scope & Content |
Hurricane Hugo made landfall just north of Charleston around midnight September 22, 1989, as a Category 4 storm. It produced tremendous wind and storm surge damage along the coast and even produced hurricane force wind gusts all the way into western North Carolina. At the time, Hurricane Hugo was the strongest storm to strike the United States in the previous 20-year period. The hurricane was also the nation's costliest in terms of monetary losses with damage estimates standing at $7 billion. Most buildings in downtown Charleston sustained significant damage, but the worst destruction occurred in beach towns north of Charleston such as Sullivan's Island and the Isle of Palms where the majority of homes were rendered uninhabitable due to the fact that this area received the strongest winds and highest storm surge. Fortunately, Hugo made landfall just north of Charleston as a track slightly farther south along the coast would have produced tremendous flooding in downtown Charleston. In addition, the relatively fast motion of Hugo diminished the amount of erosion along the coast. (Source: NOAA, http://www.erh.noaa.gov/chs/events/hugo.shtml) HCF was very involved in post-Hugo recovery, playing a large role in a city-wide (and vicinity) assessment of the damage done by the storm and in fundraising efforts for disaster relief. Areas covered by the damage assessment include: Charleston historic district and East Side, Adam's Run, Ashley River Road, Edisto Island, James Island, Johns Island, Kiawah Island, McClellanville, Rockville, Mount Pleasant, and Sullivans Island. The collection consists of: Damage Assessment: Building-by-building damage survey forms and corresponding photographs News articles Photographs and slides Documentation relating to the Historic Charleston Foundation Preservation Disaster Fund, including "The Impact of Hurricane Hugo on Historic Resources" by Preservation Consultants, 1990 Historic site inventories (19 vols.) Miscellaneous correspondence and other documentation related to the media, roofing, and the Red Cross |
Date |
1989-1990 |
Start Date |
1989 |
End Date |
1990 |
Subjects |
Hurricane Hugo, 1989 Hurricanes--South Carolina--Charleston County Hurricane damage--South Carolina--Charleston County Historic buildings--South Carolina--Charleston County--Conservation and restoration Surveys |
Physical Description |
~103 lin.ft. (document boxes) 19 spiralbound reports |
Related Records |
Show Related Records... |
Object ID # |
HUGO.001 |