High water from Sunday’s Nor’easter caused USS Yorktown to shift slightly, museum says

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – Record-setting high tide and storm surge associated with Sunday’s Nor’easter caused the USS Yorktown to slightly shift its berth as the storm swept the Charleston coast.

Charleston Harbor’s high tide peaked at 9.86 feet on Sunday, making it the fourth-highest tide on record in the harbor and the highest on record for a non-tropical event.

The coastal storm dumped heavy rain, brought strong gusty winds, and caused significant flooding and high tide when it moved through the area during the day.

Officials with Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum said staff is working with engineering firms it has contracted to perform a safety assessment of the museum and its two ships, the USS Yorktown and the USS Laffey.

Patriots Point said the USS Yorktown has only moved one other time since arriving in Mount Pleasant in 1975 — that was during Hurricane Hugo in September 1989.

They said the ship lifted an estimated six feet during Hugo before resettling. During Sunday’s storm, the ship moved approximately six inches.

“The destroyer USS Laffey is secured through mooring lines and moves freely with the Charleston Harbor tides. The USS Yorktown is buried more than 25 feet in the mud and does not rise and fall with the tides,” said officials with the museum.

The museum is expected to reopen on Tuesday.

The storm did not affect Spiritline Cruises or Fort Sumter Tours’ Patriots Point location. Those businesses are open to the public.