Hugo was still at hurricane strength as the storm advanced quickly north-northwest across central SC and into western NC during the early morning hours of September 22, 1989. Considerable damage occurred in Sumter, SC where winds gusted over 100 mph. Winds gusted to 90 mph in the Charlotte/Mecklenburg County, NC area, which was declared a disaster area. 90% of Charlotte was without power. Tornado touchdowns were reported in Burke and Caldwell counties in NC. Charlotte airport recorded 3.16" of rain. Hickory recorded an 82-mph wind gust, while Greensboro had a 54-mph gust. Hugo was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm while crossing western NC during the mid-morning hours of the 22nd. Tropical Storm Hugo advanced rapidly northward at about 50 mph during the afternoon, moving across southwest VA and western WV. By 6:00 PM EDT, Hugo was downgraded and was located just east of Youngstown, OH. Storm reports during the day included Shenandoah, VA - gust to 67 mph; Snow Shoe, WV -gust to 60 mph. 6" of rain at Poor Mountain, VA. 1.5-3" of rain across Dickenson, Russell, Tazewell and Buchanan counties of VA in a 3-hour time period. Hugo turned out to be the costliest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland until Andrew in 1992, with damage totaling over $7 billion dollars. 82 deaths were attributed to Hugo, 27 were in SC.

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