Hurricane Matthew was one of the largest storms to ever hit the east coast of the United States, and one beachfront town in South Carolina got an unexpected surprise as a result of the power of the storm.

The storm was strong enough to uncover something that had been buried near Charleston, South Carolina for years, dating back to the Civil War. Unearthed by the storm was a series of ordinances that would have been used as cannonballs during the Civil War.

When the cannonballs were first discovered in the wake of the storm, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office was informed immediately. The police called in the bomb squad to check out the ancient explosives just in case they happened to still be active. Specialists from the Air Force were also called to the site so they could give their opinions on the matter.

When it was decided that the cannonballs were safe to move, several were taken to a Navy base nearby for destruction, while the rest were detonated right on the beach where they were located. Folly Beach, South Carolina was the site of the event, one of the most popular local vacation spots for South Carolinians. The beach was cleared off all debris after the detonation and reopened to the public that evening. Assuming these cannonballs were brought to Fort Sumter near the start of the Civil War, they could be well over 150 years old. The waves that uncovered the cannonballs were 6 feet tall, and the Hurricane itself was responsible for no less than two deaths.