On September 19th 1989, South Carolinians Jim and Clara Moore were out walking on the desolate beach on Pawley’s Island, near Charleston when they spotted a man walking toward them in the distance. A bit surprised that the beach was so empty and quiet that day, as the man started to walk by, Jim waved at the man in a friendly manner. Seconds later as the man came to pass them, about 20 feet away, he suddenly vanished. Jim and Clara, perplexed and focused on other things, would initially believe they were just seeing things.
2 days later, September 21, Hurrican Hugo, a category 4 storm, came and demolished the south Atlantic coast. Causing billions of dollars in property damage and forcing thousands to flee, the damage to Pawley’s Island and surrounding areas was devastating.
Days later, when the Moore’s returned home, they were shocked to see that their home was intact in great condition while surrounding homes were in ruins.
As the days went on, the press began asking about where the local legend was, the gray man, to warn residents of the storm. At that time, Jim and Clara realized that they had indeed, seen the apparition that day, the legendary grey man on the beach that day, just prior to the hurricane.
Stories of the gray man have existed for decades on the South Carolina coast. It is said that the friendly ghostly figure appears just before storms to warn residents about incoming storms and in many cases to protect homes. The grey man has been described as a man wearing gray clothing, a long coat, dressed “like a pirate,” and sometimes as having no legs.
The legend dates back to the early 1800’s and is hotly debated topic as far as the origin. Perhaps the following is the most famous of the stories.
A young man, who had been at sea for a very long time, was traveling from Charleston to see his fiancée to ask her hand in marriage. As he wanted to shorten the trip because of an approaching storm, the man and his horse took a shortcut through the marsh just outside of Pawleys Island. As the sun began to set, his horse became stuck in the mud and threw the man to the ground. As The water and thick mud entrapped him, the man couldn’t escape and drowned.
Devastated by the man’s death, the young woman started taking regular walks on the beach to clear her mind. She would later come across a figure standing in her usual path – it was the man dressed in all gray. As she approached the apparition, she recognized the face of her lost love.
Knowing he was dead, the woman began to question him – but all he could do was warn her to leave the island, as a massive storm was approaching and then vanishing into thin air.
The woman came home and told her family what happened. Shocked, they listened to his warning, gathered their belongings and fled.
Soon, the area would be destroyed by a powerful hurricane, and only one home was untouched, the womans.
Still, Others claim the Gray Man was the ghost of a Confederate soldier, who had ridden hard and returned home from war just in time to warn his family of an impending storm. The family is said to have survived only to receive a telegram days later informing them of his death on the battlefield weeks earlier.
Despite the disputes over the origin, one thing remains clear, the grey man appears to be a benevolent spirit, and sightings often lead to powerful storms with those seeing him having their residences spared.
Over the years, there have been numerous reports of coastal residents conversing with the grey man before hurricanes. There have even been photos and videos of the ghost, but nothing to prove his existence.
To this day, many residents of Pawleys island and around Charleston believe that seeing the apparition is in a way good luck as their property will be protected when a storm approaches.
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