Clara Barton And Beaufort's Hurricane of 1893

The region of Beaufort, South Carolina is referred to as the Lowcountry. While this usually evokes peaceful images of grandiose live oak trees draped with Spanish moss, pristine waters, and beautiful beaches, it also means Beaufort is just above sea-level! In fact, most of the Beaufort area is only 10 - 20 feet above sea level. Couple this with the fact that the Beaufort region has some of the highest normal tides found on the East Coast (about 7-8 feet) and that peaceful image of the Lowcountry can turn violent during a hurricane.

This was the case during the carefree summer of 1893, when Mother Nature’s powerful hurricane forces paid an unwelcome visit. On August 27th, the deadly Hurricane of 1893 struck the northern Georgia, and southern South Carolina Sea Islands.The Savannah paper offered a gentle warning, reading “At its present rate of progress the storm will pass Savannah early this morning, causing northeast gales along the Georgia coast." Sometimes referred to as the “Sea Islands Hurricane,” this casual reference to a storm did not sufficiently warn Beaufort residents of the devastation the hurricane could bear. In fact, the powerful Hurricane of 1893 left at least 2,000 dead, making it one of the five deadliest hurricanes in recorded history, according to the National Weather Service. The Hurricane of 1893 was a Category 3, and packed winds of 120 mph.