Hurricane Hugo

For other storms of the same name, see List of storms named Hugo.

Hurricane Hugo
Satellite image of the hurricane featuring a pinhole eye
Hugo at peak intensity east of the Lesser Antilles on September 15
Meteorological history
FormedSeptember 10, 1989 (1989-09-10)
ExtratropicalSeptember 23, 1989
DissipatedSeptember 25, 1989 (1989-09-25)
Category 5 major hurricane
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS)
Highest winds160 mph (260 km/h)
Lowest pressure918 mbar (hPa); 27.11 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities67 direct, 40 indirect (107 total)
Damage$11 billion (1989 USD)
Areas affected
IBTrACSEdit this at Wikidata
Part of the 1989 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Hugo was a powerful tropical cyclone that inflicted widespread destruction across the northeastern Caribbean and the Southeastern United States in September 1989. The eleventh tropical cyclone, eighth named storm, sixth hurricane, and second major hurricane[a] of the 1989 Atlantic hurricane season, Hugo arose from a cluster of thunderstorms near Cape Verde on September 10, 1989. This cluster coalesced into a tropical depression and strengthened into Tropical Storm Hugo as it tracked west across the Atlantic Ocean for several days. On September 13, Hugo became a hurricane and continued to intensify through September 15 when its sustained winds peaked at 160 mph (255 km/h), making it a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale. Between September 17 and 21, Hugo made landfall on Guadeloupe, Saint Croix, Puerto Rico, and lastly South Carolina, with major hurricane strength winds. The storm weakened inland and accelerated north over the Eastern United States, transitioning into an extratropical cyclone on September 23 before it was last noted in the far northern Atlantic on September 25.

Hugo left extensive damage in its wake, causing 67 deaths and $11 billion (equivalent to $27 billion in 2023) in damage, which at the time, made it the costliest hurricane on record.[b] Guadeloupe bore the brunt of the storm in the Leeward Islands. Three thousand houses were unroofed, contributing to the displacement of 35,000 people from their homes. Hugo was Montserrat's costliest hurricane on record and brought down the island's entire power grid. Ninety percent of homes on the island suffered significant to total roof loss after the island was struck by the eyewall. The hurricane's impacts continued into the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, causing over $1 billion in damage. Wind gusts up to 168 mph (270 km/h) were measured in Saint Croix, where property damage exceeded $500 million with over 90 percent of buildings damaged; three people were killed on the island. Widespread damage occurred in Puerto Rico and much of the island suffered power and water service failures. Eight people were killed in Puerto Rico and nearly 28,000 people were left homeless. In the mainland United States, coastal South Carolina was hit by record setting storm surge heights, reaching 20.2 ft (6.2 m) near McClellanville. The surge and strong winds wrought extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure across South Carolina, and caused 13 deaths. Flood and wind impacts followed Hugo across much of the Eastern United States into Eastern Canada.

There were widespread and significant agricultural impacts from Hugo. Guadeloupe sustained damage to the entirety of its banana crop and most of its coconut palms and sugar cane crop. Habitat loss caused bat populations in Montserrat to fall 20-fold, while the populations of several endemic bird species declined or were disrupted across the eastern Caribbean. Coastal bird populations in South Carolina were forced 200 mi (320 km) inland. Additionally, forests between South Carolina and Virginia were heavily damaged; in South Carolina alone the loss of timber was estimated at $1.04 billion.

Hugo was the strongest hurricane to strike the northeastern Caribbean since Hurricane David in 1979, and the strongest to make landfall on the continental U.S. since Hurricane Camille in 1969. The scale of the hurricane's impacts led to the retirement of the name Hugo from the Atlantic tropical cyclone name list.

  1. ^ Goldenburg, Stan (June 1, 2018). "A3) What is a super-typhoon? What is a major hurricane? What is an intense hurricane?". Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). 4.11. Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. Archived from the original on June 15, 2006. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference HugoILM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Storm Data", p. 54.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference CD_SC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference CaribbeanIslandsCautious was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference HugoKills9Closes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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