The Gray Man

In South Carolina ghostlore, the Gray Man is a spectral figure said to appear along the coast of Pawleys Island, warning locals of approaching hurricanes and severe storms. Sightings of the Gray Man date back to 1822—three years before the town’s incorporation—and continue into modern times. One of the most recent reports came just before Hurricane Florence struck in 2018, with another notable sighting occurring ahead of Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

According to legend, the Gray Man was once a young man traveling from Charleston to visit his fiancée. During his journey in 1822, he and his horse became trapped in the thick, quicksand-like pluff mud of the surrounding marshes and died. Since then, his ghost is said to wander the shores near Pawleys Island, still searching for his lost love.

The story first appeared in print in Julian Stevenson Bolick’s 1946 book Waccamaw Plantations, and a more detailed version was later published in his 1956 collection of ghost tales.

The legend gained national exposure after Hurricane Hugo, when residents Jim and Clara Moore shared their encounter with the Gray Man on the television show Unsolved Mysteries, aired in 1990. They described seeing a man on the beach who vanished when they waved to him. Their home was left untouched by the storm, while many of their neighbors’ houses were severely damaged.

In 2014, The Weather Channel dedicated a full episode of its series American Super/Natural to the Gray Man.

Those who claim to have seen the ghost often credit him with protecting them or their property from harm. Some say they left the area after the encounter and later returned to find their homes miraculously unharmed. Descriptions of the Gray Man vary—he is often said to wear gray clothing or a long coat, sometimes appearing pirate-like, and occasionally is reported as having no legs at all.