"Storm of the Century": Hurricane Hugo and its Impact on South Carolina

Abstract

Southeastern Geographer Vol. 30, No. 1, May 90, pp. 63-67 THE CHANGING SOUTH "STORM OF THE CENTURY": HURRICANE HUGO AND ITS IMPACT ON SOUTH CAROLINA Robert L.Janiskee In 1989 South Carolina was long overdue for a major hurricane; it had been 30 years since the last serious storm (Gracie)—the longest such respite in three centuries—and the three decades had seen a tremendous construction boom along the coast. When Hugo roared ashore the night of September 21-22, 1989, its eye passing about 20 mi north of Charleston, it was a Category 4 hurricane with a 20-ft storm surge and sustained winds of 135 mph or more. It battered the South Carolina shoreline from just south of Charleston northward into the heart of the Grand Strand tourism region (Fig. 1), leaving the beaches lower and narrower, stripped of dunes, and littered with debris from houses, motels, apartments, fishing piers, and other structures. Destructive winds penetrated 200 mi inland from the coast, toppling trees and ripping away roofs with 90-mph gusts. The resulting losses were devastating : 35 people dead, more than 17,000 dwelling units destroyed or temporarily uninhabitable, enough toppled pine trees to build 660,000 homes, almost 18,000 mi of roads and highways littered with storm debris, power outages affecting more than 755,000 homes and businesses , and 270,000 people temporarily out of work. (J) The federally declared disaster area eventually encompassed 36 counties with $6.9 billion in property damage. Hugo's impact, however, will also be long term, especially its effect on tourism, forestry, and the management of wildlife and coastal resources. This paper considers some ofthese issues and especially looks at the implications for beachfront management policies and practices in the state. South Carolina will experience some immediate financial hardships resulting from the diversion of both public and private resources, erosion of the tax base in many municipalities, and losses of productivity and income in several important industries; but it is unlikely that Hugo Dr. Janiskee is Associate Professor of Geography at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC 29208. 64Southeastern Geographer will cause long-term economic problems. Experience has shown that coastal economies tend to recover quickly from major hurricanes. The Biloxi/Gulfport area, for example, is thriving economically despite destruction caused by three major hurricanes in two decades, including Camille in 1969. Despite the cautious optimism about the state's economy, several important industries and resource management programs will be affected for years to come. One major concern is Hugo's effect on tourism, the state's #2 industry; coastal tourism alone accounted for 52% of the state's $4.6 billion in travel-tourism spending in 1988. Infrastructure damage along the coast, however, was moderate: Hilton Head Island was unscathed; Charleston's historic district escaped serious damage; and, within three weeks of the storm, 62 golf courses were open and 11,000 motel rooms were available on the Grand Strand. Major advertising campaigns were mounted to counter the media-fed public image Fig. 1. Path of Hurricane Hugo and extent of damage in South Carolina. Source: The State, September 27, 1989. Vol. XXX, No. 1 65 of a Hugo-ravaged coast, but 1990 tourism revenues still may be $400 million to $1 billion below pre-Hugo forecasts. (2) Hugo destroyed more than three times as much timber as the Mt. St. Helens eruption: nearly 10 billion board feet of sawtimber and 27 million cords of pulpwood. Most of the damage, $1.04 billion worth, occurred on about 4.3 million acres in South Carolina (36% of the state's forested land), especially in a nine-county "blow down area" that lost 70-90% of its older, taller trees. Only 10-25% of the trees will be salvaged during the 6—12 month race against rot, insect infestation, fire, and moisture loss, and in the face of a market glut and depressed prices for logs. One serious repercussion of these fallen trees is a five-year heightened risk of serious wildfires. (3) Return to normality for the industry will entail a $100—200 million reforestation effort and a wait of 25—50 years for the growth...