Facing the Weather

Resilient. There’s not a better adjective to describe this community. The ability to withstand difficult conditions has been constantly tested over time during each hurricane season. The impact of Matthew’s recent visit to town will be the subject of many stories for years to come. Matthew will become another chapter in our collective community storybook along with the chapters of stories created by the storms named Hazel, Gracie, Donna, David, Floyd, and Hugo.
Hazel formed on Oct. 5, 1954 and had an eerie similarity to Matthew. Gracie formed on Sept. 20, 1959, creating the highest tide since 1940 in Charleston and flooding the Avondale area. Donna formed on Aug. 29, 1960 spawning tornadoes that impacted West Ashley. David formed on Aug. 25, 1979. Hugo formed on Sept. 10, 1989 and was the strongest storm to impact Charleston since Gracie. Floyd formed on Sept. 7, 1999 and created an evacuation nightmare for SC. Matthew formed on Sept. 28, 2016 and the stories are just starting to be told. These photographs speak not only to the specific storm’s impact but also more importantly to that resilience.
Interesting stories about West Ashley’s history? Contact Donna Jacobs at westashleybook@gmail.com.