Hugo made landfall on Sullivan’s Island, north of the city, around midnight. It had been a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, but had become a Category 4 storm at landfall with sustained winds of 140 mph. It produced tremendous wind and storm surge along the coast and the highest storm tide ever recorded along the East coast. It was at the time the strongest storm to strike the US in more than 20 years. There were deaths and much destruction. Most buildings in downtown Charleston sustained significant damage but the worst destruction was on Sullivan’s Island, where many houses were rendered uninhabitable. Because the hurricane hit north of the city, Charleston was spared worse flooding downtown. Hugo moved quickly, so less was destroyed and fewer areas were flooded. Today’s hotter weather storms could inflict worse damage.

Halfway through a hurricane, there is a quiet time, a lull. It is the “eye” of the storm. We left our “secure” dining room and went out on our porch. The sky was an eerie green and quiet. Our neighbors across the street were also outside and called out to us. “Your roof is in our yard” they shouted. And so it was: our red tin roof lay battered in their yard. A tornado sheer had lifted it. When we re-entered our home, the second half of the storm took hold, and rain poured into our now unprotected house, and soaked through our two highest floors.