From Charleston’s colonial mansions with finely-crafted balustrades, to fragile Outer Banks beaches, to exalted centers of American history, the tourism-heavy US East Coast is facing a potentially devastating blow from Hurricane Florence. The full force of Florence is threatening the city’s colonial structures, cobblestone streets and dozens of bohemian bars and cafes, which delight the region’s five million annual visitors. A direct hit on Charleston could shock the area’s $4.2 billion tourism industry, which employs more than 47,000 people.
