Hurricane Hugo got the public's attention. It caused an unprecedented $an unprecedented $10 billion in damage, killed 28 people in the Lesser Antilles, and 29 in South Carolina. But it could have been more deadly if it hit almost any place else. Early warnings about Hugo allowed 350,000 people to be evacuated safely. Hugo was the worst hurricane to strike the southeastern US coast since Betsy hit Florida in 1965, killing 74. Since then, the population of areas such as south Florida has ballooned and most residents have never directly experienced a hurricane. Hugo may have been the first in a new era of killer storms.
Hurricane Hugo got the public's attention. It caused an unprecedented $10B in damage, killed 28 people in the Lesser Antilles, and 29 in South Carolina. But it could have been more deadly if it hit almost any place else. Early warnings about Hugo allowed 350,000 people to be evacuated safely. Hugo was the worst hurricane to strike the southeastern US coast since Betsy hit Florida in 1965, killing 74. Since then, the population of areas such as south Florida has ballooned and most residents have never directly experienced a hurricane. Hugo may have been the first in a new era of killer storms.