Georgetown County officials turn to past to prep for storms

This photo, taken right after Hurricane Hugo in 1989, shows what was left of a row of beachfront homes in Garden City.

By: Rusty Ray | SCNow
Published: June 04, 2009

The Georgetown County Library holds more than just books these days. It also houses hundreds and thousands of pictures of days gone by in the mostly rural, coastal county.

That includes a huge collection of submitted pictures from Hurricane Hugo, 20 years ago.

"If you were in the area, you'll know that we had boats in the road, Garden City was leveled, and Pawleys Island was split in half," said Dwight McInvaill, the library director. "There were so many terrible things that happened in Georgetown County, and we need to let people know this. We need to let them know it in a clear and evocative manner."

That's the impetus behind the library's new hurricane project.

Funded through a $60,000 dollar grant, part of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the county library wants residents to submit and pictures, video (or film), or any stories they might have from previous storms. The goal is to then turn those around, to show residents just how bad it can be when the big storm hits.
"Not many people know our rice industry--one of the pre-iminent rice industries--was destroyed not by the Civil War, but it was destroyed by a series of about five hurricanes that hit the county between 1880 and 1910," said McInvaill.

For more information, and to view the photographs submitted so far, click here.