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Cleaning Up after Hurricane Dorian Scrapes Charleston’s Coast

Chris Hauff Sep 09, 2019

Have you ever wondered how a museum like ours prepares for a hurricane, and what the cleanup efforts look like? Well, you’re not the only one! Hurricane Dorian swiped the Charleston coast last week, coming in with force to the grounds of Patriots Point. We are fortunate to have escaped the storm without sustaining any major damage and even came out the other side with a few great photos!

Hurricane Dorian left the Bahamas in ruins after sitting in place as a category 5 hurricane. When our museum experts saw it shifting towards Charleston, they decided safety measures needed to be taken.

On Tuesday, September 3, Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum closed to visitors so that staff could prepare all three ships, 28 aircraft, and all museum exhibits for the category 3 hurricane’s harsh winds and rain that were forecast to arrive later in the week. Planes were double-tied in place in their spots on the flight deck, helicopter propellers were tied down so that they wouldn’t be whipped around in the winds, and hatches were closed and locked into place.

The aircraft carrier Yorktown does not float freely, it actually rests snug deep inside more than 20 feet of Charleston harbor mud.  Because of its resting status, it is one of the safest places to ride out a storm, and a small team of Patriots Point employees did just that.  They were aboard the ship as the storm rolled in Wednesday evening and passed through Thursday.

While Hurricane Dorian passed over Charleston Harbor, the staff onboard Yorktown saw conditions deteriorate. A floating dock owned by the Charleston Harbor Resort, near where the Clamagore is moored, broke apart and sent a few boats sailing away unattended. Several trees came down on our property and along Patriots Point Road.

The power also went out for a few hours. Thankfully, none of the ships, aircraft or museum exhibits were damaged! Our crew did a phenomenal job making sure everything remained safe.

By Thursday evening, the storm had passed and the sun was shining.  Giving our team a chance to assess the damage.  Museum Director Larry Murray made the call to keep the museum closed until Tuesday, September 10 so that staff had time to clean and make minor repairs before we reopened to visitors.

On Monday, September 9, cleanup efforts were underway.  Museum staff went around to every inch of each ship and exhibit – untying propellers, restoring ship power, and triple-checking safety concerns. By the afternoon, all-clear orders were given.

We are so excited to reopen Tuesday for the visitors who love the history of this museum as much as we do. See you soon!