United States

International

Lesser Antilles
Puerto Rico
Hispaniola
Turks and Caicos Islands
Bahamas
South Carolina
North Carolina
Virginia
West Virginia
Ohio
Northeastern United States
Eastern Canada
U.S. Virgin Islands

5

260 km/h

Hurricane Hugo was a powerful Cape Verde-type hurricane. It formed near the Cape Verde Islands on September 9, 1989 and it was classified as category 5 hurricane strength. It dropped to category 4 on September 17 when it was crossing over Guadeloupe and St. Croix on September. Then, it weakened up to category 2, passing over Puerto Rico. However, it re-strengthened into a category 4 hurricane before making landfall at Charleston, South Carolina on September 21.

International

> 100,000 km²

> 100,000

100 - 1,000

100 - 1,000

> 100 M USD

Hurricane Hugo caused 107 fatalities and resulted in $10 billion (1989 USD) in damage overall, making it the most damaging hurricane ever recorded at the time.

The hurricane left in its wake an 84-square-mile island devoid of electrical power, running water, and communications with the outside world. It destroyed all buildings that were not of substantial concrete construction—the majority of the buildings on the island—as well as the few hospitals on the island and the island's prisons.

The hurricane also thrust St. Croix, with its population of 57,000, into a state of civil unrest, as looters, looking to take advantage of the situation, confronted merchants concerned with protecting their wares. Prisoners, allegedly released for humanitarian reasons due to
the impending storm, roamed about the island freely, adding to the social disruption.