Hurricane Charley caused the evacuation of about 180,000 people from the Grand Strand as Charley tracked northeast towards the South Carolina coast, making landfall near Cape Romain as a weak category one hurricane with sustained winds at 75 mph. The center of Hurricane Charley brushed the Charleston County coastline before making landfall just north of Myrtle Beach on the 14th.
The highest wind gusts were 63 mph at the Isle of Palms, 58 mph at Folly Beach, and 51 mph in downtown Charleston. Storm surge was estimated at 4 to 6 feet over northern Charleston county from Oyster Landing to the Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge. Radar estimated around 4 inches of rain fell in around 2 hours in the northern part of the county in association with Hurricane Charley.
Charley moved up the coast and then inland around Myrtle Beach. In Horry and Georgetown counties, insurance claims totaled $5 million, mostly along the Grand Strand. 65,000 residents lost power, and the estimate for cleanup in Georgetown county was $1.5 million.
