Hurricane waves striking sea wall

Sixteen feet of storm surge struck the Florida Panhandle during Hurricane Eloise

Storm surge along the New England coast

Artist's rendition of a satellite view of a hurricane

Hurricane tracks from 1886-1969

Artist's rendition of "safe" people in high-rise observing storm surge

Tracks of Camille and the Labor Day Storm of 1935 The two deadliest storms of the Twentieth Century

Historic home to be used as Episcopal High School This school was scheduled to open in September 1969

Historic home destroyed by Hurricane Camille All that was left was the front steps

Homes on the waterfront on the Florida Panhandle before Hurricane Eloise

Same homes as previous photograph after Hurricane Eloise

Richeliu Apartments before Hurricane Camille Substantial appearing building chosen as site of hurricane party

Richeliu Apartments after Hurricane Camille 30 out 32 people having a "hurricane party" died here Richeliu Apartments found to be poorly constructed Probably wouldn't have mattered how good the construction 20 to 25 feet of storm surge devastated all in its path here

The condominium complex "Latitude 29" This building was brand new but destroyed by Hurricane Eloise

Remains of a house built on a concrete slab Home destroyed by Hurricane Eloise, a Category 3 storm

Saffir-Simpson hurricane intensity scale with Florida examples By comparison Hurricane Andrew in 1992 was a Category 4 storm

Hurricane pounding New England coast

Beach-front community prior to Hurricane Carol

Beach-front community after Hurricane Carol

Graphical presentation of storm surge accompanying Hurricane Camille Note Pass Christian

Trinity Episcopal Church was built in 1849 Before Hurricane Camille

The remains of Trinity Episcopal Church after Hurricane Camille

Remains of a house built on a concrete slab Home destroyed by Hurricane Eloise, a Category 3 storm

Major hurricanes striking the United States coastline 1941-1950 Note concentration of storms on Florida

Major hurricanes striking the United States coastline 1951-1960 Note concentration of storms on East Coast

Major hurricanes striking the United States coastline 1961-1980 Note concentration of storms on Gulf Coast

Major hurricanes striking the United States coastline 1981-1990 Note lack of concentration of storms in any particular area

The track of Hurricane Hugo

Enhanced infrared imagery of Tropical Storm Hugo on September 13, 1989 Storm beginning to develop far out in the tropical Atlantic Ocean Wind speed is now 75 mph

Enhanced infrared imagery of Hurricane Hugo on September 14, 1989 Storm 400 miles from Lesser Antilles Wind speed was now 75 mph making Hugo a minimal hurricane

Enhanced infrared imagery of Hurricane Hugo on September 15, 1989 Storm 300 miles from Lesser Antilles

Enhanced infrared imagery of Hurricane Hugo on evening of September 15, 1989 Storm just east of Martinique - 918 mb low Category 5 on Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale at this time

Enhanced infrared imagery of Hurricane Hugo early morning of September 17, 1989 Hugo, now a Category 4 storm, was centered over Guadeloupe

Visible spectra satellite image of Hurricane Hugo on September 17, 1989 Hugo, now a Category 4 storm, was centered over Montserrat

Enhanced infrared imagery of Hurricane Hugo evening of September 17, 1989 The eye of storm is approaching St. Croix, just to the northwest Storm is Category 4 on Saffir-Simpson Scale at this time

Enhanced infrared imagery of Hurricane Hugo morning of September 18, 1989 Hugo was centered near the northeast tip of Puerto Rico The storm had weakened to a Category 3 on Saffir-Simpson at this time

Visible spectra satellite image of Hurricane Hugo on September 21, 1989 At 10:30 A.M. EDT Hugo was relatively weak and just approaching Category 3 Storm approaching landfall on the coast of South Carolina

Visible spectra satellite image of Hurricane Hugo on September 21, 1989 At 6:00 P.M EDT, Hugo had now strengthened explosively to a Category 4 Tropical storm winds and rising waters were already battering the coast Preparations and evacuation had to be completed by this time

Charleston NWS radar image of Hurricane Hugo on September 21, 1989 The eye was now about 75 miles southeast of Charleston with a 30-mile diameter The eyewall with the strongest winds was only 50 miles from the coast

Digitized Charleston WSR-57 radar image of Hugo with superimposed winds Real-time winds measured onboard NOAA research aircraft flying into Hugo Wind velocity transmitted to NHC through a satellite link as eyewall hit coast Sustained winds of 155 mph at 10,000 feet and 135 mph at surface Higher gusts were estimated in area of landfall

Enhanced infrared imagery of Hurricane Hugo morning of September 18, 1989 The eye is over the coast near Charleston, South Carolina

Digitized Charleston WSR-57 radar image of Hugo with superimposed winds Note strongest winds well east of Charleston near Bulls Bay This area experienced Category 4 Hurricane conditions Charleston only experienced Category 2 Hurricane conditions Regardless, $9 billion damage done by Hugo on South Carolina coast

Digitized Charleston WSR-57 radar image of Hugo with superimposed winds Hugo had passed well inland at this time but still remained quite dangerous

Damage to new condominium and effect of airborne debris on downstream houses Hurricane Hugo

Collapsed oil tanks at Hess Oil Refinery on St. Croix Tanks collapsed because of wind pressure causing oil spill Hurricane Hugo

Severe housing damage near the airport on Culebra Hurricane Hugo

Damage to conventional housing at Luquillo Notice second floor wall blown in Hurricane Hugo

Damage to small vessels at Roosevelt Roads Naval Base Hurricane Hugo

Channel on left was location of fishing vessels before being deposited on land Hurricane Hugo

Atlantic House Restaurant at Folly Beach before Hurricane Hugo