Description

Hurricane Hugo, the Lowcountry’s most infamous storm, at one point had Folly Beach in a grasp of destruction. When Hurricane Hugo hit land as a Category 4 hurricane, Folly Beach sustained winds of 85 miles per hour, with gusts as high as 107 miles per hour. Many beach houses along the coast were torn apart and 35 deaths were reported in total. Due to the storm surge and rough tides, there was extensive damage all over the state of South Carolina as well as other parts of the country. It has been estimated that the damage from Hurricane Hugo cost over $5.9 billion dollars. Today, Hugo remains the strongest and most costly hurricane in the history of South Carolina.