Georgia-South Carolina Hurricane of 1940
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| Category 1 hurricane (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Formed | August 5, 1940 | |
| Dissipated | August 15, 1940 | |
| Highest winds |
|
|
| Lowest pressure | 975 mbar (hPa; 28.8 inHg) | |
| Fatalities | 60 direct, 2 indirect | |
| Damage | $3 million (1940 USD) $46 million (2008 USD) |
|
| Areas affected |
Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee | |
| Part of the 1940 Atlantic hurricane season |
||
The Georgia-South Carolina Hurricane was a strong Category 1 hurricane that struck the Georgia and South Carolina coast between August 11 and 12, 1940.
Contents |
[edit] Storm History
Possibly of Cape Verde origin, the storm was detected near Puerto Rico on August 5. The storm was moving west-northwest near the Mona Passage. On August 6, the developing storm was near the southeastern Bahamas before turning north. By August 10 a ship reported that winds were hurricane force. In the afternoon of August 11, the hurricane made landfall near Beaufort, South Carolina where it moved inland and turned just northeast of Savannah, Georgia between 5 and 6 p.m. on the same day. For the next four or five days the storm meandered inland before falling apart on August 15.
[edit] Impact
The hurricane left $3 million dollars (1940 USD) in damage and 60 dead.
[edit] South Carolina and Georgia
There was $1.5 million dollars in damage in Charleston, South Carolina while Savannah, Georgia received $1 million dollars in damage. Two people in Georgia died from heart failure. On the coastal areas where the hurricane was hit there was a considerable loss of life. Early press reports said that 35 were dead but the exact numbers are disputed and probably will never be known. According to the Monthly Weather Review, the deaths were low because of Hurricane warnings and evacuations. However, post 1940 sources indicated that 50 people died in Savannah, Georgia.
[edit] Tennessee and North Carolina
After leaving the coast, the dissipating storm brought heavy rains that sparked disastrous flash floods. The floods inundated much of Tennessee, the Carolinas and northern Georgia. Press reports stated that 30 more people died in the floods and there was millions of dollars in damage.
