30 Years Later, Remembering Impacts of Hurricane Hugo in South Carolina

As South Carolina navigates through the peak of the 2019 Atlantic Hurricane Season, Richland Library wants to reflect on and learn from an historic storm that had statewide impacts. It’s the 30th anniversary of Hurricane Hugo making landfall in the Palmetto State.

Join us for Remembering Hurricane Hugo from 3 – 4:30 p.m., Saturday, September 21 at our Main location (1431 Assembly Street). Former Broadcast Chief Meteorologist Jim Gandy plans to share weather data and models from 1989 that he used to predict the storm’s path. In addition, hear what Gandy learned from Hurricane Hugo as well as his thoughts about how to best prepare for future storms.

Images of storm damage and recovery from Hurricane Hugo, spanning the Lowcountry to the Midlands, are also accessible in The Walker Local Family and History Center. Browse the digital collection online at richlandlibrary.com. If you are interested in obtaining a high resolution image, please contact Community and Media Relations Coordinator Emily Stoll.

Lastly, read more about Hurricane Hugo with these picks by our Research and Readers’ Advisory Department:

• Island in the Storm: Sullivan’s Island and Hurricane Hugo by Jamie W. Moore and Dorothy P. Moore
• Hurricane Destruction in South Carolina: Hell and High Water by Tom Rubillo
• Lunatic Wind: Surviving the Storm of the Century by William Price Fox

For more generalized hurricane materials, you may want to check out the following titles:

• Isaac’s Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larsen
• Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink
• Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics, and the Battle Over Global Warming by Chris Mooney
• We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time by José Andrés
• Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Hugo resulted in 21 deaths and an estimated $7 billion in damage to the mainland United States.

About Richland Library

Awarded the National Medal in 2017 by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Richland Library is a vibrant, contemporary organization that provides resources and information that advance the Midlands. Offering state-of-the-art technology, a variety of literary and cultural programs and 12 bustling facilities located throughout the county, Richland Library provides a truly customizable, modern library experience for residents and visitors alike.