What to Expect If Hurricane Hugo Hit South Carolina Today

Hurricane Hugo was the most costly hurricane ever to hit the United States when it made landfall in South Carolina in 1989, causing $4.2 billion in insured damage. Since then, the total insured property along South Carolina’s coast has grown to more than $200 billion.

With the increased population and development since 1989, another Hurricane Hugo could easily cause $15 to $20 billion in damage, according to Allison Dean Love, executive director of the South Carolina Insurance News Service.

“Fortunately, the property insurance market has improved in South Carolina in recent years and there are number of measures home and business owners can take to mitigate potential losses and save money,” she said.

A number of changes have occurred in South Carolina since 1989:

The state has enhanced its building code and enforcement, including updating the requirement for protection of windows, doors and garage doors, and adding requirements for the protection of glazed surfaces, such as impact resistant glass or the use of storm shutters.

As of July 1, 1999, code enforcement officers charged with inspecting buildings were required to be certified and registered with the state.

The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) created the Fortified—for safer living single-family residential construction program. The program offers a package of “code-plus” upgrades that greatly increase a new home’s resistance to natural perils. Forty-four homes in the Myrtle Beach area have earned the designation.

The South Carolina General Assembly passed the Omnibus Coastal Property Insurance Reform Act in 2007. A number of insurance companies have since come into South Carolina since the law was passed. The law requires private insurers to give premium discounts to homeowners who have made their structures more storm resistant and provides tax credits for property owners who purchase building supplies used to make their homes more resistant to hurricanes, flooding or catastrophic windstorm events. The new law also allows tax credits for lower income property owners who pay more than 5 percent of their incomes toward insurance premiums and it allows homeowners to set up catastrophe savings accounts.

The state also has a grant program that has given more than $4 million to more than 800 homeowners throughout the state.