AUGUSTA, Ga. - The 2009 hurricane season is here, but the Augusta area is far enough inland to have avoided hurricanes in recorded history.

NBC Augusta 26 News searched through NOAA records dating back to 1851 and found that the only storm that even approached hurricane strength in the Central Savannah River Area was Hurricane Gracie, 50 years ago.

Hurricane Gracie's maximum strength was reached on Sept. 29, 1959, as a category 4 storm with winds of 140 mph. When it reached land near Beaufort, S.C., it had weakend to a category 3 storm with winds of 120 mph.

According to the historical record, Gracie's path went through extreme eastern Bamberg County, and was downgraded to a strong tropical storm with sustained winds of 70 mph about the time it arrived in Bamberg County in late September 1959.

Gracie brought several inches of rain to the Augusta area, and especially on the South Carolina side of the Savannah River.

Numerous tropical storms and hurricanes have crossed through the CSRA in the past, but all of them since at least 1851 have weakened to tropical storm or tropical depression status by the time they reached the area.

These findings do not mean that a category 1 or even category 2 hurricane could not make it into the Augusta area, however. If a storm were to hit the Savannah area at about a 50-degree angle and continue moving to the northwest, such as Gracie did when it struck near Beaufort, the Augusta area could be in for some very rough weather.

For instance if a major category 4 or 5 storm were to strike Savannah, its effects would be felt in Augusta in a very short time, and depending on how fast the hurricane moved northwestward, hurricane force winds could easily be experienced in nearly all of the CSRA.

Threats to our area from any tropical system that heads our way include flooding and tornadoes. In the hypothetical scenario detailed above, the Augusta area would likely have to deal with tornadoes, flooding, and sustained high winds.

Thirty years after Gracie struck the South Carolina coast, stronger Hurricane Hugo made landfall near Charleston and quickly moved northward. Hugo affected parts of the CSRA with heavy rain and damaging wind gusts.

Some other tropical systems that affected the CSRA include:

Tropical Storms Klaus and Marco, Oct. 1990: Major flooding
Hurricane Earl, Sept. 1998: Flooding
Tropical Storm Helene, Sept. 2000: Death caused by tornado in Allendale County

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