Hurricane Hugo devastated beachfront communities from Charleston to Myrtle Beach destroying hundreds of shorefront structures. Reconstruction has already begun under the 1988 Beachfront Management Act and Hugo has provided an early test for some of the buildings which were located in this dead zone but were destroyed by the hurricane beyond repair will be tested. The study will follow and analyze the decisionmaking process and the implementation of the retreat from the shoreline policy at the private and public, local, state and federal levels. The evaluation of the effectiveness and viability of these rebuilding restrictions will be of benefit to researchers, administrators, insurers and other professionals interested in decreasing the vulnerability of people and property located in the coastal areas of the United States.
