Beginning To Look A Lot Like Hugo

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EAUFORT, S.C.: South Carolina Governor David Beasley declared a state of emergency, called out the National Guard and ordered half a million people evacuated from coastal areas as Hurricane Fran swirled toward landfall on 115 mph winds. "Fran is a large and brutal storm, and she is not to be trifled with in any shape, way, fashion or form," said Beasley. Fran, which some experts fear may pack the punch of Hurricane Hugo, is likely to come ashore Thursday afternoon north of Charleston, the same place where Hugo, with its 140 mph winds, hit land with devastating effect in 1989. Fran is as large as Hugo and has the potential to equal its strength as it passes over warm water, the National Hurricane Center said. Hugo caused almost $8 billion in damage and killed 35 people in the Caribbean and the East Coast, with most of the damage in South Carolina. The Federal Emergency Management Agency sent crews to the region, equipped with cots, tents, generators, blankets, food and other supplies. In Cape Canaveral, NASA moved space shuttle Atlantis back into its hangar and delayed its September 14 mission by at least two days. Georgia Governor Zell Miller declared a state of emergency for 11 counties. -- Josh Dubow