1893 Hurricane Photo #24
Photograph of a two-masted ship run aground. Back of photo inscribed: "1893 Hurricane. #24." The deadly 1893 Sea Islands hurricane made landfall in Savannah, GA on August 27 as a Category 3 storm, with winds at around 120mph (190 km/h). The storm killed an estimated 1,400-2,000 people and left 40,000 South Carolinians homeless. Most fatalities are attributed to heavy storm surge, which is calculated to have been up to 30 feet in some areas. Most Sea Island residents were African American families who came to farm the islands after the Civil War. They had little to no forewarning of the impending storm, and most island houses were situated no more than two feet off the ground.
Image from Beaufort Hurricane of 1893 Photograph Collection, held by Beaufort County Library.
