Hurricane Hugo struck the coast of South Carolina on September 21-22, 1989. It came ashore as a Category 4 storm (on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, winds 131 to 155 miles per hour). The hurricane blew in to the Charleston, South Carolina area with winds of 138 miles per hour and a 20 foot storm surge on top of astronomically high tides. It caused significant damage to cities in South Carolina; in particular, Charleston, Sullivan's Island, Folly Beach, the Isle of Palms, McClellanville, and Awendaw. It also destroyed a major portion of the Francis Marion National Forest. Hugo claimed 27 lives in South Carolina and was responsible for about $7 billion (USD, 1989) worth of damage in the United States. With power knocked out to most of the area, local radio and television stations were forced off the air. One station that was able to remain on-air was WHTK based in Hilton Head, South Carolina. This station provided valuable information and became a "Beacon in the Night" for those in the affected area.