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Charleston, South Carolina
 
    
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NWS Charleston, SC - Local Tropical Cyclone History

Unofficial Data for Tropical Cyclones Affecting
Southeast South Carolina and Southeast Georgia
(1686-2008)

UPDATED: 9/10/09

Climatology:
During June and early July, the western Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico are the favored locations for tropical cyclone formation. By late July, this area shifts eastward and the frequency increases. Late August cyclones form over a broad area of the eastern Atlantic and extend to the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of Africa. The period from August 20 thru September 15 shows a maximum of Cape Verde storms with peak frequency of Atlantic hurricanes being on September 10. Most Cape Verde storms cross the Atlantic and turn northward then northeastward towards northern Europe before dissipating. A few may move far enough westward to be a threat to North America. Those storms that make landfall in the U.S. are generally severe since they have been over the warm waters gathering strength for days or even weeks. By the middle of September, the frequency of storm occurrence declines and the formation area returns to the still warm, shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. By the middle of November, tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic Ocean has normally decreased.


Statistics:
  • From 1900-Present, the eye (or central circulation) of 31 tropical systems have made landfall in South Carolina and Georgia.

Intensity at Landfall Number of Storms
Tropical Depression 2
Tropical Storm 14
Hurricane - Category 1 7
Hurricane - Category 2 5
Hurricane - Category 3 1
Hurricane - Category 4 2
Hurricane - Category 5 0

  • 25 of these 31 systems have made landfall in the WFO Charleston County Warning Area. Of these, only 2 (Hugo-1989 and Gracie-1959) have been major (Category 3-5) hurricanes..

Decade Number of Storms Making
Landfall in the 'WFO Charleston CWA'		 Type
(H-Hurricane; TS-Tropical Storm; TD-Tropical Depression)
1900-1909 0  
1910-1919 6 3 H; 2 TS; 1 TD
1920-1929 1 1 TS
1930-1939 1 1 TS
1940-1949 4 2 H; 2 TS
1950-1959 4 3 H; 1 TD
1960-1969 1 TS
1970-1979 2 1 H; 1 TS
1980-1989 3 2 H; 1 TS
1990-1999 0  
2000-Present 3 2 H; 1 TS



Storm Listing:
Note: Storms that made landfall in the WFO Charleston CWA after 1851 (when the NHC's Best Track (HURDAT) dataset begins) are highlighted in red.

Year Dates Storm Name Storm Details and Impacts
1686 Sep 4-5 "Spanish Repulse Hurricane" Drove ships onto land, destroyed crops, houses and livestock, and killed many.
       
       
1700 Sep 14 "Rising Sun Hurricane" Produced severe storm surge flooding and caused damage to several ships, including the 800-ton Scottish ship, the "Rising Sun".  Killed 100+ people.
1713 Sep 16-17 "Great Storm" Hurricane made landfall north of Charleston causing significant property damage and at least 70 deaths.
1722 Sep 19-21   Caused significant flooding.
1724 Aug 28   TS brushed the SC/GA coasts.
1728 Aug 13-14   Hurricane made landfall south of Charleston causing much property and crop damage.
1752 Sep 14-15 "Great Hurricane" A very violent hurricane that made landfall just south of Charleston and produced severe storm surge flooding, much damage and at least 95 deaths. It is likely the worst storm to ever hit Charleston.
  Sep 30 - Oct 1   Hurricane grazed the coast producing widespread damage.
1769 September 5-6   Storm remained offshore but produced heavy damage to shipping and crops.
1770 Jun 6-7   Manigault Papers describe a "great storm at night" which mainly affected coastal areas, destroying several boats.
1778 Aug 10   Storm with hurricane force winds moved along the SC coast making landfall north of Georgetown. Produced extensive damage to ships and crops near Charleston.
1781 Aug 10   Storm with hurricane force winds moved northward along the GA/SC coasts. Two British ships sunk.
1783 Oct 7-8   Strong storm struck just north and east of Charleston causing considerable damage to wharves.
1784 Sep 10   Major storm struck west of Charleston. Coastal islands were covered with storm surge, especially Sullivan's Island.
1787 Sep 19   Storm produced substantial damage to shipping, property, and crops from Beaufort to Georgetown.
1792 Oct 30-31   Strong TS or hurricane caused considerable damage to Charleston harbor.
1797 Oct 19-20   Strong TS or hurricane likely just west of Charleston caused considerable damage to ships. High surge covered all the wharves.
       
       
1800 Oct 4-5   Hurricane near Charleston caused the most damage since the 1783 storm.
1804 Sep 7-8   Hurricane skirted the GA coast and made landfall near Beaufort, SC. Produced considerable property damage, severe storm surge flooding and many deaths.
1806 Aug 22   Storm passed off the SC coast and struck the NC coast. Produced significant damage north of Georgetown with only minor damage in Charleston.
  Oct 8-9   TS or minimal hurricane hit SC.
1810 Sep 10   TS struck southwest of Charleston producing minor damage.
1811 Sep 10   TS likely made landfall north of Charleston producing a tornado in the city.
1813 Aug 27-28   Hurricane made landfall just north of Charleston. One of Charleston's worst storms with significant property damage and 15 to 20 deaths.
1814 Jul 1   Tropical system caused a tornado near Charleston.
1815 Sep 1   Storm struck SC a glancing blow before moving into NC near Cape Lookout.
1820 Sep 10   A hurricane struck near the NC/SC border producing minor damage mainly north of Charleston.
1822 Sep 27-28   Strong hurricane made landfall between Charleston and Georgetown near Cape Romain producing hundreds of deaths.
1824 Sep 14-15   Strong hurricane made landfall on the GA coast between Jacksonville, FL and Savannah, GA producing tremendous storm surge flooding. 
1825 Jun 3-4   Hurricane struck SC a glancing blow. Trees and fences were leveled in Charleston.
1827 Aug 25   Tropical system grazed the coast.
1830 Aug 15   Hurricane passed just offshore but still produced moderate storm surge flooding at Winyah Bay and Georgetown.
1834 Sep 4   A small hurricane brushed the SC coast passing north and east of Charleston but producing major flooding in Georgetown with a significant loss of agriculture.
1835 Sep 18-19   Storm moved north inland from the GA/SC coasts producing minor damage.
1837 Aug 6-7   Storm made landfall near Jacksonville, FL but produced damage from wind and tide especially along the GA coast.
  Aug 16-18 "Calypso Hurricane" Storm tracked just off the GA/SC coasts.
  Aug 31-Sep 1   Landfall near Apalachee Bay, FL. Moved northeast and off the coast near the FL/GA border producing minor impacts.
  Oct 8-9 "Racer's Storm" Tracked along the Gulf Coast as a hurricane and then moved through GA and off the coast near Charleston.
1839 Aug 28   Hurricane hit just north of Charleston.
1842 Oct 4-6   Storm brought highest tides in many years to the Charleston area.
1846 Oct 10-12   Tropical system passed through interior SC from the south.
1851 Aug 24-25   Landfall over central FL panhandle as a Cat 3 hurricane. Moved northeast through central GA and SC as a TS.
1852 Aug 27-28   Landfall near the AL/MS border as a Cat 3 hurricane. Moved northeast across central GA and SC as a TS before moving off the coast near the NC/SC border.
  Oct 9-10   Landfall along the FL gulf coast as a Cat 2 hurricane. Moved northeast across southeast GA and eastern SC as a TS before moving out to sea off the NC coast.
1853 Oct 21-22   Cat 2 hurricane approached the GA coast but turned northeast and remained offshore before dissipating off the SC coast.
1854 Sep 7-9   Landfall near Savannah, GA as a Cat 3 hurricane. Had the same track as the 1804 storm and produced great property damage.
1856 Aug 31-Sep 1   Landfall along central FL panhandle as a Cat 2 hurricane. Moved northeast into central GA before weakening into a TS. Continued northeast through northeast SC and southeast NC before moving offshore over the Outer Banks.
1860  Aug 13-14   Landfall along the eastern LA coast as a Cat 3 hurricane. Moved northeast across southern AL and weakened into a TS. Then moved east across southern GA before moving off the coast near the SC/GA border.
1867 Jun 22   Landfall near Charleston, SC as a Cat 1 hurricane. Moved north-northeast across northeast SC as a TS before dissipating in NC.
  Oct 7   Landfall near Cedar Key, FL as a Cat 1 hurricane. Moved northeast across northern FL before moving well off the coast of GA/SC.
1868 Oct 4-5   Landfall along the central FL panhandle as a TS. Moved northeast across southeast GA before passing offshore.
1871 Aug 18-23   Landfall along the southeast FL coast as a Cat 3 hurricane. Moved northwest across inland FL and then northeast off the GA coast as a TS before looping back into the coast near the FL/GA border and weakening to a TD across southwest GA.
  Aug 28-29   Landfall along the east-central coast of FL as a Cat 2 hurricane. Moved northwest into southwest GA and weakened to a TD before moving east-northeast across GA and out to sea off the southeast coast of SC.
  Sep 7   Landfall near Cedar Key, FL as a Cat 1 hurricane. Moved northeast across FL and weakened into a TS before moving out to sea near Jacksonville. Remained off the SC/GA coasts.
  Oct 6-7   Landfall near the Big Bend area of FL as a TS. Moved northeast across southeast GA and extreme southern SC before tracking offshore.
1872 Oct 24   Landfall near Tampa, FL as a TS. Moved off the FL east coast and then north toward NC becoming a Cat 1 hurricane off the northern SC coast.
1873 Jun 2   Landfall near GA/FL border as a TS. Moved into south-central GA and weakened to a TD.
  Sep 19-20   Landfall at Apalachicola, FL as a Cat 1 hurricane. Moved northeast across southeast GA and extreme southeast SC as a TS before moving offshore.
1874 Sep 28-29   Landfall at Cedar Keys, FL as a Cat 1 hurricane. Moved northeast out to sea near Jacksonville, FL and made another landfall near Charleston, SC as a Cat 1 hurricane. Downed telegraph lines in Charleston and produced extensive damage to rice crops along with 2 deaths.
1877 Sep 20-21   Landfall along the LA coast as a Cat 1 hurricane. Moved northeast and made a second landfall along western FL panhandle. Weakened to a TS and moved across southeast GA and then out to sea.
  Oct 4   Landfall at Panama City, FL as a Cat 3 hurricane. Moved northeast across southeast GA and weakened to a TS before moving across the SC midlands and eventually out to sea near Norfolk, VA.
1878 Sep 12   Landfall in southern FL as a TS. Moved off the west coast of FL and intensified into a Cat 2 hurricane and made a second landfall in FL before moving northeast and off the coast near Jacksonville, FL. Storm then made a third landfall at Beaufort, SC as a Cat 1 hurricane.
  Oct 11   Landfall along the FL gulf coast as a TS. Moved northeast across southeast GA and then
1880 Sep 8-9   Landfall along the FL gulf coast as a TS. Moved northeast off the coast near the GA/FL border and then offshore of the SC coast.
  Oct 8   Landfall near Cedar Keys, FL as a Cat 1 hurricane. Moved northeast and off the GA coast. Produced minor to moderate damage along the GA/SC coasts. 37 MPH winds were reported at Charleston.
1881 Aug 27-28   Landfall near Savannah, GA as a Cat 2 hurricane. Moved west into GA and weakened to a TS.
1882 Oct 12   Landfall near Cedar Keys, FL as a Cat 1 hurricane. Moved northeast off the GA coast as a TS and then along the SC coast before strengthening back into a Cat 1 hurricane off the NC coast.
1883 Sep 11   Hurricane moved across the Bahamas and then made landfall near the SC/NC border as a Cat 2 hurricane.
1884 Sep 11-12   Landfall near Savannah, GA as a TS. Weakened to a TD over land and recurved out to sea off the SC coast before strengthening back into a TS.
1885 Aug 24-25   Landfall near the SC/GA border as a Cat 3 hurricane causing severe damage and many deaths. Moved inland across eastern SC and NC before moving out to sea along the NC Outer Banks.
  Aug 31   Landfall along the central panhandle of FL as a TS. Moved northeast and out to see off the GA coast.
  Sep 21   Landfall along the central panhandle of FL as a TS. Moved northeast and out to see off the coast near the GA/FL border.
   Oct 12   Landfall along the Big Bend area of FL as a TS. Moved north across the SC midlands.
1886 Jun 21-22   Landfall along the Big Bend area of FL as a Cat 2 hurricane. Moved northeast into GA and weakened into a TS before moving through upstate SC. 44 MPH winds reported at Charleston.
  Jul 1   Landfall near Apalachicola, FL as a Cat 2 hurricane. Weakened to a TS over southeast GA and then continued moving northeast across the SC midlands.
  Jul 19   Landfall along the west-central coast of FL as a Cat 1 hurricane. Weakened to a TS over northeast FL and then continued moving northeast off the coast.
1888 Sep 9-10   Landfall in southeast FL as a TS. Moved northwest across the FL peninsula and then northeast across southeast GA into the SC midlands as a TS.
   Oct 11   Landfall near Cedar Key, FL as a Cat 2 hurricane. Moved northeast off the FL coast near Jacksonville as a Cat 1 hurricane and then weakened to a TS off the SC coast before making landfall again along the southeast NC coast.
1889 Jun 18   Landfall near Cedar Key, FL as a TS. Moved northeast off the northeast FL coast.
  Sep 23   Landfall across southeast LA as a Cat 1 hurricane. Moved northeast and made a second landfall near the MS/FL border before weakening into a TS and continuing through upstate SC. 45 MPH winds reported at Charleston.
1893 Jun 15-16   Landfall near Cedar Key, FL as a TS. Moved northeast across southeast GA and then along the SC coast.
  Aug 27-28 "Great Sea Islands Hurricane" Landfall near Savannah, GA as a Cat 3 hurricane. Moved north-northeast through the SC midlands and weakened into a Cat 1 hurricane before moving into NC. Storm produced a catastrophic storm surge of 16+ ft, caused 2,000 deaths and $10+ million damage, and left 20-30,000 people homeless.
  Oct 13   Landfall near Charleston, SC as a Cat 3 hurricane. Moved north-northeast into NC.
1894 Sep 27-28   Landfall along southwest coast of FL as a Cat 2 hurricane. Moved northeast and made a second landfall south of Charleston, SC as a Cat 1 hurricane.
  Oct 9   Landfall in Panama City, FL as a Cat 3 hurricane. Moved northeast across southeast GA and SC.
1896 Sep 29   Landfall near Cedar Key, FL as a Cat 3 hurricane. Moved north-northeast across southeast GA before weakening to a Cat 2 hurricane near the GA/SC border and then to a Cat 1 hurricane across the remainder of SC.
1897 Sep 21-22   Landfall across southwest FL as a TS. Moved northeast and off the FL east coast and then off the GA/SC coasts. 45 MPH winds reported in Charleston.
1898 Aug 30-31   Landfall near the GA/SC border as a Cat 1 hurricane. Moved west-northwest into central GA as a TS.
  Oct 2   Landfall along the southeast GA coast as a Cat 4 hurricane. Moved west-northwest into central GA and weakened.
1899 Oct 31   Landfall in Myrtle Beach, SC as a Cat 2 hurricane. Little damage in SC but considerable damage in NC. 58 MPH winds reported in Charleston, SC.
       
       
1900 Oct 12   Landfall near Cedar Key, FL as a TS. Moved northeast and out to sea near Jacksonville, FL before weakening to an extra-tropical cyclone off the GA/SC coasts.
1901 Sep 18   Landfall along the western panhandle of FL as a TS. Moved northeast across southeast GA and southeast SC as a TS and off the coast near the SC/NC border.
1902 Jun 15   Landfall along the big bend area of FL as a TS. Moved northeast across southeast GA and the SC midlands and into NC as a TS.
1904 Sep 13-14   Landfall near Georgetown, SC as a Cat 1 hurricane. Produced excessive rain in northeast SC and 70 MPH winds at Georgetown.
  Nov 3-4   Landfall along the western panhandle of FL as a TS. Moved northeast across southeast GA and SC as a TD and then out to sea near Charleston.
1906 Sep 17   Landfall north of Charleston, SC as a Cat 1 hurricane. Moved northwest across SC as a TS and toward the Appalachian Mountains as a TD before dissipating.
  Oct 20   Landfall in southeast FL as a Cat 3 hurricane. Moved northeast and off the southeast U.S. coast before looping back toward the coast and making a second landfall near Jacksonville, FL as a TS.
1907 Jun 29   Landfall along the western panhandle of FL as a TS. Moved east northeast across southeast GA as a TS and along the SC coast before weakening as it moved over NC.
  Sep 29   Landfall along the central panhandle of FL as a TS. Moved northeast across southeast GA as a TS and out to sea near the GA/SC border.
1908 Oct 23   Landfall north of Charleston, SC as a TS. Moved northwest into central SC before dissipating.
1909 Jul 3   Landfall in southeast FL as a TS. Moved northwest into southwest GA as a TD and then east-northeast off the southeast SC coast.
1910 Oct 19-20   Landfall in southwest FL as a Cat 2 hurricane. Moved north toward southeast GA and weakened to a TS and then moved northeast along the coast before moving out to sea.
1911 Aug 4-5   TD developed along the FL/AL border and moved east and off the GA coast.
  Aug 28   Landfall in extreme southern SC as a Cat 2 hurricane. Moved west into GA and weakened. The storm caused a moderate storm surge, 17 deaths, and $1 million damage in Charleston.
1912 Jul 15   Landfall near Brunswick, GA as a TS. Produced heavy rain in eastern SC.
  Sep 5   TS developed off the Mid-Atlantic coast and moved southwest off the NC and SC coasts before weakening into a TD and moving inland across southeast GA.
1913 Oct 8   Landfall just north of Charleston, SC as a Cat 1 hurricane. Curved sharply northeast across the SC midlands before dissipating in NC. Produced heavy rain in northeast SC.
1914 Sep 16-17   Landfall in southeast GA as a TS. Moved west along the Gulf Coast before dissipating over LA.
1915 Aug 2   Landfall near Daytona Beach, FL as a TS. Moved into southeast GA and then weakened into a TD as it moved into SC.
1916 May 15-16   TD developed south of Cuba and moved north and made landfall across southwest FL while intensifying into a TS. Then continued north and then northeast while moving along the GA coast before pushing ashore along the southern SC coast.
  Jul 13-14   Landfall near Bulls Bay, SC as a Cat 2 hurricane. Moved northwest through SC as a TS before dissipating. The storm produced very heavy rainfall, severe river flooding and $10-11 million damage.
  Oct 4-5   TS developed east of the Bahamas and moved northwest toward the SC coast before curving west into southeast GA.
1919 Oct 30   TD developed northeast of the Bahamas and moved west before making landfall along the central GA coast.
1924 Sep 16   Landfall in Panama City, FL as a Cat 1 hurricane. Moved northeast into southeast GA and southern SC as a TS before moving along the coasts of SC and NC.
1927 Oct 3   Landfall in southeastern SC as a TS. Produced 50 MPH winds in Charleston.
1928 Sep 18 "Lake Okeechobee Hurricane" Landfall near West Palm Beach, FL as a Cat 4 hurricane on Sep 16. Recurved northeast and moved across eastern GA and SC.
1929 Oct 1-2   Landfall near Apalachicola, FL as a Cat 1 hurricane. Recurved northeast into SC near Aiken as a TS. Heavy rain on already saturated soil caused severe flooding and established many new high water marks.
1932 Sep 15   Landfall along Big Bend of FL as a TS. Moved northeast across extreme southeast GA as a TS and then off the SC coast.
1933 Sep 6-7   Landfall in Palm Beach, FL as a Cat 3 hurricane. Moved northwest across FL and then north-northeast into GA as a TS before dissipating near the GA/SC border.
1934 May 28-31   Landfall in Fort Myers, FL as a TS. Moved northeast off the FL coast and made a second landfall in extreme southeast SC as a TS. Then moved into upstate SC and weakened to a TD before making a counter-clockwise loop into GA and then moving back into SC before dissipating.
1935 Sep 5   Landfall in Cedar Keys, FL as a Cat 1 hurricane. Moved northeast into southeast GA and central SC as a TS. Produced heavy rain, strong winds, and 4 tornadoes in SC.
1938 Oct 24   Landfall along the Big Bend area of FL as a TS. Moved northeast across extreme southeast GA as a TS and off the coast.
1940 Aug 11   Landfall in extreme southeast SC as a Cat 2 hurricane. Moved west into GA. Produced much damage and 34 deaths.
1941 Oct 8  

Landfall in Miami, FL as a Cat 3 hurricane. Moved northwest and made a second landfall along the central FL panhandle as a Cat 1 hurricane. Then recurved northeast across central GA and southern SC as a TS before moving out to sea near Charleston, SC.

1944 Oct 19-20   Landfall along the central west coast of FL as a Cat 3 hurricane. Moved northeast and out to sea before making a second landfall near Edisto Island, SC as a TS. Produced heavy rain and $350,000 in damage.
1945 Jun 25   Landfall near Cedar Key, FL as a Cat 1 hurricane. Moved northeast and back off the coast near Jacksonville and weakened into a TS before paralleling the GA/SC coasts and strengthening back into a Cat 1 hurricane.
  Sep 17   Landfall near Miami, FL as a Cat 4 hurricane. Moved northwest and then northeast and off the coast near Jacksonville, FL before making a second landfall near the GA/SC border as a TS. Produced high winds, moderate flooding, and tornadoes with $6-7 million damage.
1946 Jul 5-6   TS formed north of the Bahamas and moved north skirting the northeast SC coast before making landfall near the SC/NC border.
  Oct 8-9   Landfall near Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL as a Cat 1 hurricane. Moved north-northeast across southeast GA as a TS and then across the SC midlands as a TD. Produced excessive rainfall.
  Nov 2-3   Landfall along southeast coast of FL as a TS. Moved northwest and then northeast off the coast near the FL/GA border as a TD before dissipating off the SC coast.
1947 Sep 24   Landfall near Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL as a TS. Moved northeast across southeast GA as a TS before dissipating into an extra-tropical system across the SC midlands.
  Oct 7-8   Landfall near FL/GA border as a TS. Made a counterclockwise loop over GA and FL while weakening to a TD before moving north and dissipating near the GA/SC border.
  Oct 15   Landfall across southwest FL as a Cat 1 hurricane. Moved northeast off the FL coast and then northwest and made a second landfall in Savannah, GA as a Cat 2 hurricane. Produced strong gales south of Charleston, SC with 6 ft above normal tides. Tides were 9 ft above normal at Parris Island with 65 MPH winds.
1949 Aug 28   Landfall in Palm Beach, FL as a Cat 3 hurricane. Moved north-northwest across FL and then north-northeast into upstate SC as a TS.
1950 Sep 7 Hurricane Easy Landfall near Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL as a Cat 3 hurricane. Moved across FL and then northwest into south-central GA as a TS before weakening to a TD over west-central GA.
  Oct 18-19  Hurricane King Landfall in Miami, FL as a Cat 3 hurricane. Moved north-northwest across FL and into southern GA before dissipating.
1952 Aug 30-31 Hurricane Able Landfall in Beaufort, SC as a Cat 1 hurricane. Produced 90 MPH winds at Beaufort, excessive rain over eastern SC, 2 deaths and $3 million in damage.
1953 Sep 1 TS #3 Landfall near the GA/SC border as a TD. Moved west into central GA.
  Sep 20 TS #7 Landfall in the Big Bend area of FL as a TS. Moved northeast across FL and weakened to a TD before moving into extreme southeast GA and then off the GA coast.
1954 Oct 15 Hurricane Hazel Landfall near the SC/NC border as a Cat 4 hurricane. One of the most severe storms to ever hit SC.
1957 Jun 8-9 TS #1 Landfall at Apalachicola, FL as a TS. Moved northeast then out to sea near Edisto Beach, SC.
1958 Sep 27 Hurricane Helene Approached the northeast coast of SC from the southeast as a Cat 3 hurricane then curved northeast off the NC coast. Produced minor coastal effects in SC.
1959 Jul 8-9 Hurricane Cindy Landfall in McClellanville, SC as a Cat 1 hurricane. Produced heavy rain, considerable flash flooding and 1 death.
  Sep 29 Hurricane Gracie Landfall in St. Helena Island, SC as a Cat 3 hurricane. Moved northwest past Columbia and weakened into a TS before moving into NC. Produced 140 MPH winds at landfall with tides 6 ft above the predicted astronomical tide. Caused extensive damage to south coastal SC along with 10 deaths in GA and SC.
1960 Jul 29 TS Brenda Landfall in Cedar Keys, FL as a TD. Moved over Savannah, GA and along the SC coast while intensifying to a TS. Produced heavy rainfall.
  Sep 11 Hurricane Donna Landfall in Tampa-St Petersburg, FL as a Cat 3 hurricane. Tracked northeast off the FL coast while weakening to a Category 2 hurricane. Produced minor damage from 2 tornadoes.
1963 Oct 25-26 Hurricane Ginny Remained off the Southeast U.S. coast as a Cat 2 hurricane while producing heavy rain and minor damage along the immediate coast.
1964 Aug 29-30 Hurricane Cleo Landfall in Palm Beach, FL as a Cat 2 hurricane. Moved north-northwest along the east coast of FL and back onshore near Savannah, GA as a TS before moving into upstate SC as a TD and then northeast into NC. Produced gales along the coast, several tornadoes, and 3-8 inches of rain.
  Sep 12-13 Hurricane Dora Landfall in Jacksonville, FL as a Cat 2 hurricane. Moved toward the FL panhandle then turned northeast through southeast GA and SC. Produced 3-8 inches of rain and one tornado.
1966 Jun 10-11 Hurricane Alma Landfall at Apalachee Bay, FL as a Cat 2 hurricane. Moved northeast across southeast GA and SC and then offshore. Ninety percent of the cotton crop was lost due to heavy rainfall.
1968 Jun 7-11 Hurricane Abby Landfall near Tampa, FL as a TS. Moved up the FL coast and into GA and then eventually into upstate SC before looping back into northeast SC. Produced up to 10 inches of rain in SC.
1970 May 25-26 TS Alma Landfall in Cedar Keys, FL as a TD. Moved northeast across southeast GA and SC. Produced heavy rain and flooding.
1972 Sep 13-14 Hurricane Dawn Erratic movement well offshore. Dissipated while moving northeast along the GA/SC coasts as a TD.
1976 Aug 20-21 TS Dottie Landfall near Charleston, SC as a TS. Produced high tides, heavy rainfall and beach erosion.
1977 Sep 5 Hurricane Clara Formed just off the coast near Charleston and moved east-northeast away from the area.
1979 Sep 4 Hurricane David Landfall near the GA/SC border as a Cat 2 hurricane. Produced 5 tornadoes, 6-8 inches of rain, heavy beach erosion and $10 million damage.
1981 Aug 19-20 Hurricane Dennis Landfall across southern FL as a TS and moved northeast and off the northeast FL coast before skirting the SC coast as a TS. Produced 5-6 inches of rain near Charleston with higher amounts to the northeast.
1984 Jun 18-19 Hurricane Diana Developed just north of the Bahamas and eventually developed into a Cat 4 hurricane before making a loop off the NC coast and making landfall near Wilmington, NC as a borderline Cat 1/2 storm. Produced 32 MPH wind gusts in downtown Charleston and generally 1-3 inches of rain across the area.
  Sep 28-29 TS Isidore Landfall in Palm Beach, FL as a TS. Moved inland and then out to sea near Jacksonville, FL.
1985 Jul 24-25 Hurricane Bob Landfall near Fripp Island, SC as a Cat 1 hurricane. Produced a 44 MPH wind gust in downtown Charleston and a 48 MPH gust at Folly Beach. 5 inches of rain was recorded at the Charleston Airport.
  Aug 9 Hurricane Claudette Developed off the GA coast and moved east northeast out into the Atlantic.
  Oct 11-13 TS Isabel Landfall near the FL/GA border as a TS. Weakened to a TD and recurved quickly out to sea in GA before moving slowly away from the coast.
  Nov 22 Hurricane Kate Landfall in Panama City, FL as a Cat 2 hurricane. Moved northeast across southeast GA as a Cat 1 hurricane before weakening into a TS across SC. Produced 1.73 inches of rain at Savannah, GA and 62 MPH wind gusts.
1986 Aug 15 Hurricane Charlie Landfall along the FL panhandle as a TD. Moved northeast into southeast GA and then east into SC before moving out to sea and north along the coast toward the Mid-Atlantic.
1987 Aug 17 TS #1 Landfall in TX as a TS. Moved east into southeast GA before dissipating. Produced heavy rain in GA/SC.
1988 Aug 28 TS Chris Landfall near Savannah, GA as a TS. Produced rainfall totals less than 3 inches.
1989 Sep 21-22 Hurricane Hugo Landfall in Charleston, SC as a Cat 4 hurricane. First major hurricane to make landfall in SC since Gracie in 1959. Produced the highest storm tides (15-20 ft) near Cape Romain with around 10-12 ft near Charleston Harbor. Highest winds occurred in northern Charleston County where Category 4 conditions were experienced. 78 MPH winds with gusts to 98 MPH were measured at Charleston Airport. Downtown Charleston recorded a wind gust of 108 MPH while the Coast Guard Cutter "Rambler" in the Cooper River reported a 138 MPH gust. Caused 82 deaths.
1990 Oct 12-13 TS Marco Landfall along the west coast of FL as a TS. Weakened into a TD before moving north into southern GA. Dissipated over central SC.
1994 Nov 17-20 Hurricane Gordon Landfall across southwest FL as a TS and then moved northeast into the Atlantic and strengthened into a hurricane before looping back into northeast FL as a TD. Then moved north along the GA/SC coasts before dissipating over northeast SC.
1995 Jun 5-6 TS Allison Landfall along FL panhandle as a TS. Moved into southeast GA and weakened into an extra-tropical system.
  Aug 26-28 TS Jerry Landfall along the southeast FL coast as a TS. Moved northwest into south-central GA after weakening to a TD and then dissipated near the GA/SC border. Produced 8-10 inches of rain across eastern GA/SC with isolated higher amounts. In fact, the storm produced the highest rainfall total ever for a tropical system in SC...18.51 inches at Antreville, SC.
1996 Jun 18-19 TS Arthur Formed near the Bahamas and moved north off the Southeast U.S. coast while intensifying into a TS. The storm then began to move northeast while remaining off the SC coast.
  Jul 12 Hurricane Bertha Stayed offshore and made landfall at Cape Fear, NC as a Cat 2 hurricane. Produced gusts to 59 MPH at the Edisto buoy (41004), 58 MPH in downtown Charleston, 60 MPH at the Folly Beach C-MAN station and 45 MPH at the Charleston Airport.
  Sep 5-6 Hurricane Fran Stayed offshore and made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, NC as a Cat 3 hurricane. Produced a 45 MPH wind gust in downtown Charleston.
  Oct 8 TS Josephine Landfall along the Big Bend of FL as a TS and then moved into southeast GA before weakening into an extra-tropical storm. Then moved northeast along the SC coast and produced 5 inches of rain in a few hours in Charleston.
1998 Aug 26-27 Hurricane Bonnie Landfall near Wilmington, NC as a borderline Cat 2/3 hurricane. Produced a 45 MPH wind gust in downtown Charleston.
  Sep 3 Hurricane Earl Landfall near Panama City, FL as a Cat 1 hurricane and then tracked into southeast GA while weakening into a TS. Continued to weaken into an extra-tropical system before moving into southeast SC. Produced several tornadoes...including an F2 in Frogmore, SC (Beaufort Co), resulting in 1 death and 4 injuries as well as an F2 in Moncks Corner, SC (Berkeley Co), resulting in 9 injuries and $2.8 million in damage.
  Sep 30-Oct 1 Hurricane Georges Landfall near Biloxi, MS as a Cat 2 hurricane. Then weakened quickly into a TD and moved east into southeast GA before dissipating.
1999 Sep 13 Hurricane Floyd Floyd was a large and intense Cape Verde storm that pounded parts of the Bahamas and threatened the entire Southeast U.S. coast. Floyd neared Cat 5 intensity in the Bahamas; however, it weakened thereafter and was a Cat 2 as it made landfall near Cape Fear, NC. Produced a 53 MPH wind gust at the Savannah Airport and an 85 MPH gust in downtown Charleston. The minimum pressure at the Charleston Airport was 989.5 mb while rainfall totaled 3.99 inches in downtown Charleston.
  Oct 17 Hurricane Irene Landfall over the FL Keys as a minimal hurricane. Irene continued north, paralleling the GA, SC and NC coasts, while intensifying and accelerating northeast away from land. The Grays Reef buoy offshore from Savannah, GA (41008) recorded a 59 MPH gust. Heavy rain fell along the Southeast U.S. coast, including over 4 inches in downtown Charleston.
       
       
2000 Sep 18-19 Hurricane Gordon

Landfall just north of Cedar Key, FL as a TS. Moved northeast across southeast GA as a TD before dissipating into an extra-tropical system.
2002 Oct 11 Hurricane Kyle Moved north-northeast along the GA/SC coasts before making landfall near McClellanville, SC as a TS. Produced 2.25 inches of rain at the Savannah Airport and 4.91 inches at the Charleston Airport as well as an F-2 tornado in Georgetown, SC.
2004 Jul 31-Aug 2 Hurricane Alex Developed off the SC/GA coasts and strengthened into a TS before slowly moving northeast while continuing to intensify. Produced minimal impacts on the SC/GA coasts.
  Aug 12-13 TS Bonnie Landfall near St. Vincent Island, FL as a TS and then quickly weakened into a TD as it moved across southeast GA/SC. Produced roughly 1.5 inches of rain at the Charleston Airport.
  Aug 14 Hurricane Charley Landfall near Cape Romain, SC as a Cat 1 hurricane. Produced a peak wind gust of 38 MPH at the Charleston Airport and 1.02 inches of rain.
  Aug 29 Hurricane Gaston Landfall near Awendaw, SC as a Cat 1 hurricane. Produced a peak wind gust of 55 MPH at the Charleston Airport and 4.05 inches of rain. Downtown Charleston received 4.63 inches of rain.
  Sep 5-7 Hurricane Frances Landfall on the east coast of FL near Stuart as a Cat 2 hurricane. The storm then moved into the northeast Gulf of Mexico and made a second landfall along the Big Bend area of FL as a TS before moving into western GA and dissipating into a TD. NWS Charleston confirmed 20 tornadoes in their County Warning Area from this system.
  Sep 27-28 Hurricane Jeanne Landfall on the east coast of FL near Stuart as a Cat 3 hurricane. The storm then moved up the west coast of FL and weakened into a TS before continuing to moving into central GA and upstate SC as a TD. The storm produced about 1-3 inches of rain and 6 confirmed tornadoes in the NWS Charleston County Warning Area.
2005 Sep 12-14 Hurricane Ophelia Formed near the Bahamas and meandered off the Southeast U.S. coast for days. The center passed just off the NC coast near Cape Fear. Produced a 38 MPH wind gust at the Charleston Airport and a 69 MPH gust at the Edisto Buoy (41004). However, rainfall amounts were less than 0.25 inches as the center of circulation remained well offshore.
  Oct 5 TS Tammy Landfall near Atlantic Beach, FL as a TS. Moved northwest into southeast GA before weakening into a TD. Produced 4.44 inches of rain at the Savannah Airport and 3.63 inches at the Charleston Airport.
2006 Jun 13-14 TS Alberto Landfall along the Big Bend area of FL as a TS. Moved northeast into southeast GA before weakening into a TD over central SC. Produced 3.98 inches of rain at the Savannah Airport and 2.51 inches at the Charleston Airport along with 7 confirmed tornadoes in NWS Charleston's County Warning Area.
  Aug 30-31 Hurricane Ernesto Landfall in south FL as a TS. Moved northeast and weakened into a TD before moving back out over the Atlantic. The storm then re-strengthened into a TS and continued moving northeast off the GA/SC coasts before striking southeast NC. Produced 2.61 inches of rain at at the Charleston Airport.
2008 Jul 18-19 TS Cristobal Formed about 70 miles off the GA/SC coasts and strengthened into a TS before moving northeast toward the NC Outer Banks.  Produced minimal impact on the SC/GA coasts.
  Aug 19-22 TS Fay Landfall along the southwest coast of FL as a TS and then moved northeast and offshore the east-central coast of FL. The storm then moved back onshore near Flagler Beach (its third landfall in FL) and proceeded generally westward.
  Sep 5 TS Hanna Moved northwest away from the Bahamas and then more north before making landfall as a TS near the NC/SC border.

For more detailed information on all tropical systems back to 1958, refer to NOAA's National Hurricane Center. Tracks of all storms back to 1851 can be obtained through NOAA's Coastal Services Center.

REFERENCES

  • National Hurricane Center's HURDAT "Best Track" database
  • Fraser Jr, W. J. Lowcountry Hurricanes: Three Centuries of Storms at Sea and Ashore. Athens: Georgia, University of Georgia Press, 2006.
  • Jarvinen, B., C. Neumann, and M. Davis. A Tropical Cyclone Data Tape for the North Atlantic Basin, 1886-1993: Contents, Limitations and Uses, 1993.
  • Jordan, L. W. A History Of Coastal Storms in South Carolinaa, The College of Charleston, 1981.
  • Ludlum, D. M., Early American Hurricanes, 1492-1870. Boston: American Meteorological Society, 1963.
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