History with ‘Hud’: How the Southport weather tower helped save lives during storms
SOUTHPORT, NC (WWAY) — It’s been more than five years since an important piece of Southport’s history was sent tumbling to the ground by an early morning thunderstorm.
On February 7, 2020, the waterfront weather tower was destroyed by strong winds (a nearby unofficial measurement of nearly 85 mph was observed), after standing in the same spot on the Fort Johnston Garrison Lawn since 1901 – before the city even had a hospital.
It was one of many warning display towers the United States Weather Bureau constructed along the east coast by order of President William McKinley to warn ships of approaching hurricanes.
For example, two red pennants flying indicated gale-force winds. At night, that message would be signified by a red light over a white light. The towers were each equipped with three lights: two red and one white.
But only five towers remained at the time of its collapse, including one still standing in Manteo which was built in 1904.
A big part of the tower’s weather efforts came from Jessie Stevens Taylor, who served as a volunteer weather observer and storm warning display woman at the tower for more than 60 years, from 1900 through 1961. Her alerts during Hurricane Hazel, a Category 4 storm, in 1954 are credited with having saved the lives of hundreds of people. Nineteen people died in North Carolina as a result of Hurricane Hazel, but none in Southport.
Taylor was 75 years old at the time of the major hurricane. She received a commendation from President Dwight Eisenhower and was presented with the Silver Medal for Meritorious Service for warning about the approaching Hazel.
Around three decades later, the coastal warning network was deactivated in 1989.
The tower itself lasted another few decades (with flags flying ceremoniously in 2018 for Hurricane Florence) before toppling in 2020, with efforts to build a new replica tower beginning immediately. A new tower was expected to be erected in 2021, but it proved difficult to raise funds during the COVID pandemic, with all coming through private donations.
Finally on November 14, 2024 the city announced sufficient funds had been raised to build an exact replica of the weather tower. The board voted, 5-0, for a budget amendment to appropriate nearly $74,000 of donations to start the project. (In all, $79,374 in donations were received for the project.)
Although the tower will no longer be used for its original purpose, due to advancements in weather and communication technology over the last century, it will still serve as a reminder of how a simple towers helped keep mariners safe.
Meteorologist Matthew Huddleston (‘Hud’) has always had two major loves – weather and history. While you can watch him talk about weather each morning on WWAY, he looks forward to bringing you a little piece of history each Thursday on WWAY’s website.
To read other History with ‘Hud’ segments, click HERE.
