Is Florence Going to Show Her Face in Charlotte? Another Hugo Perhaps? September 22, 1989 - Hurricane Hugo, the storm by which all other storms are measured here in Charlotte. Being 150 miles inland, we never thought it possible to be faced with the level of destruction we experienced, nor the costs of $9-Billion to clean-up and repair/replace. During the disaster, Charlotte reported sustained winds of 69 mph and gusts up to 99 mph, causing tremendous destruction to a region that virtually never sees such impacts from a tropical system, especially a hurricane. Some were without power for more … Continue reading...