20 years ago: Hurricane Hugo

[CrazyC83]

10,000 or more would have died in Katrina merely had the western eyewall not collapsed. The winds would have blown those people taking shelter on their roofs into the water. Not sure to what extent Hugo played into that

Before Hugo, the elevation standards weren't that strongly enforced. That is why Lincoln High School had hundreds of people that night, it was assessed at 22 feet (which if correct would have kept it dry in Hugo) but in reality was only 8 feet (which a mid-sized Cat 2 or a large Cat 1 would overtop) after re-assessment in the 1990s. Re-assessments took place all over hurricane-prone coasts as well.

Using 1989 information, they would have opened up shelters in New Orleans for Katrina (I think they did for Andrew), but not until the mid-1990s did they start requiring total evacuations (first one was for Georges).

[Derek Ortt]

10,000 or more would have died in Katrina merely had the western eyewall not collapsed. The winds would have blown those people taking shelter on their roofs into the water. Not sure to what extent Hugo played into that

Before Hugo, the elevation standards weren't that strongly enforced. That is why Lincoln High School had hundreds of people that night, it was assessed at 22 feet (which if correct would have kept it dry in Hugo) but in reality was only 8 feet (which a mid-sized Cat 2 or a large Cat 1 would overtop) after re-assessment in the 1990s. Re-assessments took place all over hurricane-prone coasts as well.

Using 1989 information, they would have opened up shelters in New Orleans for Katrina (I think they did for Andrew), but not until the mid-1990s did they start requiring total evacuations (first one was for Georges).

total evacuations? The Superdome?

[MGC]

I was in Charleston a few months after Hugo hit. Lucky for Charleston because they were on the weak side of the hurricane. We drove up HWY-17 and checked out the area that got the RFQ.....near total devestation. The national forest looked like a giant weedwacker had gone through. Considering both Hugo and Charley were Cat-4's, Hugo had a much larger damage swath.

Georges was the first hurricane to prompt the call for total evacuation of New Orleans. The evacuation was a disaster as gridlock occured. Georges ended up not hitting the city. New Orleans didn't flood till after the winds had died down so nobody would have gotten blown off the roof. I think nearly everyone that remaind in New Orleans would have drown if the hurricane had hit on the west side of the city instead of the east side......MGC

[somethingfunny]

However the fact that the Superdome's roof sustained as much damage as it did, and winds in New Orleans likely never exceeded Category One strength....that does make me seriously question how reliable wind ratings are on such buildings. The entire roof may have torn off had a Category Four made a direct hit on New Orleans.

[CrazyC83]

If Hugo made landfall around Kiawah Island, the entire Charleston peninsula - and much of the metropolitan area - would have been underwater, and the city would have got Cat 4 sustained winds (and Cat 5 gusts), as opposed to about Cat 2 winds...

[MGC]

Charleston and New Orleans were both on the weak side of the hurricane. Both cities would have suffered much higher damage had the track shifted just slightly. The top of the Superdome is near 300 feet, so the wind over the roof was likely much stronger. Katrina circulation above the boundry layer was still very much intact, it was at the surface where it had weakened......MGC

[HurricaneJoe22]

Lots of visuals and newspaper coverage here:

http://www.visualeditors.com/apple/2009 ... cane-hugo/

[emeraldislencguy]

I was living in wilmington and we escpaed damage--I went down the next morning to McCleansville on a missionwork team for our church and carried a van load of diapers, water, and food. I could not believe the damage there and how high the water got--talked to some of the survivors who stayed the night in the high school and talked to people who rode out the storm--U went back for the last 2 months every week and it was an experience I shall never forget--the folks of the United Methodist Church in Mccleansville were so appraciative and so thanksful for our church helping out.

[Derek Ortt]

9th ward and surrounding areas flooded immediately during Katrina. Many were on rooftops there