Some believe the devastating Sea Islands Hurricane, which struck near Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston on August 27, 1893, to be one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in the history of South Carolina, even surpassing the 1886 Charleston earthquake, Hurricanes Hugo and Helene, and the 1924 Horrell Hill Tornado. And, we can never forget the 1908 Statewide flood, which affected all of the major rivers, with some rising 22 feet above sea level, but I’ll save that for another post.
The 1893 Sea Islands Hurricane resulted in between 1,000 and over 2,000 fatalities, depending on the source that you plan to use, due to storm surge and high winds. It remains the deadliest hurricane in South Carolina’s recorded history.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.
Source: Beaufort District Collections Connections Blog