AUGUSTA, Ga - Twenty years ago today, Category 4 Hurricane Hugo rampaged the Carolinas. South Carolina remembers the 20th anniversary of its landfall just north of Charleston just after midnight. 137mph winds were recorded at the Charleston Naval Station and a 15 foot storm surge inundated the Isle of Palms. Edisto recorded over 10 inches of rain, and even Savannah picked up nearly 6 inches of rain from the storm.

Hurricane Hugo developed from a tropical wave moving west off the coast of Africa and eventually became a Category Five major hurricane. Hugo hit the northeast Caribbean as a Category 4 storm and then turned northwest towards the Southeast.

Hugo made landfall just north of Charleston, South Carolina at Sullivan's Island around midnight September 22, 1989 as a Category 4 storm. Estimated maximum sustained winds were near 140mph with higher gusts. Hugo produced catastrophic wind and storm surge damage along the coast, and hurricane force wind gusts were even recorded in the Charlotte, NC area. According to the National Weather Service, Hugo produced the highest storm tide heights ever recorded along the U.S. East Coast.

The National Weather Service Forecast Office at Charleston, South Carolina, provides a comprehensive review of Hurricane Hugo here.

For a complete analysis of Hurricane Hugo from the Tropical Prediction Center, click here.

Hugo had minimal impact of metro Augusta. Since the entire area was on the west and weaker side of the storm, rain and wind were not a factor. Some wind damage was observed in eastern Bamberg County closer to the storm.