NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Abbeville, SC
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
21 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Abbeville, South Carolina since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 74 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 21
- Tornadoes
- 74
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
9 deaths in all
What the records show for Abbeville
None of the 21 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Abbeville; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 2 miles away. The record near Abbeville begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 44 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 4 systems. Of the 21 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Of the 246 South Carolina cities on this site, 83% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Abbeville. The highest rating among the 74 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on December 13, 1973, came within 22 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on March 31, 1973, killed 7 people. Of the 74, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 42 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 16. The most recent tornado was on June 9, 2025. Of the 246 South Carolina cities, 65% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Abbeville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 40 times since 1956, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 246 South Carolina cities, 82% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Abbeville.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Abbeville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 16 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | CleoAug 30 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 9 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 18 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Abbeville: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Abbeville
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s7
- 2000s29
- 1990s13
- 1980s5
- 1970s11(5 EF3+)
- 1960s1
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 1973 | F4 | in town | 22.6 mi | 7 / 30 |
| Dec 13, 1973 | F4 | 22 mi | 1 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Apr 8, 1974 | F3 | 25 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 13, 1973 | F3 | 14 mi | 17.7 mi | 0 / 26 |
| Dec 13, 1973 | F3 | 15 mi | 10.7 mi | 0 / 3 |
| May 3, 2021 | EF2 | in town | 29.35 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF2 | in town | 6.71 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 21 mi | 32.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 16 mi | 8.04 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 13, 2005 | F2 | 22 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 15, 1989 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 13, 1980 | F2 | 23 mi | 33.4 mi | 0 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 74, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Abbeville
The Storm Prediction Center has 40 hail reports within 10 miles of Abbeville since 1956, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 7, 1998. The most recent report is from May 3, 2021. May has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Abbeville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Calhoun Falls, SC, 12 miles southwest of Abbeville at 530 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 54°F and 32°F. December is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and April the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 46.9 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 49% of the year's precipitation (23.1 of 46.9 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 21 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (9); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 3.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 60 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 60 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.6 inches a year, most of it in February. That 46.9 inches is more than at 29 of the 78 South Carolina stations used on this site (37%). Hodges, 12 miles northeast, has its own station (Greenwood Co Airport, SC): 42.0 inches a year, 4.9 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 32 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Feb | 58 | 35 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Mar | 66 | 40 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 3.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 75 | 50 | 3.3 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 57 | 34 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Year | 74 | 51 | 46.9 | 73 | 0.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Calhoun Falls, SC (530 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Abbeville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 60 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Abbeville: 58 thunderstorm wind reports, 1 flash flood and 1 flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $48,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on April 21, 2003.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Abbeville County, which includes Abbeville, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 29, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Abbeville County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.3 million a year, the 37th highest of 46 South Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.2 million (31%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Abbeville
- Calhoun Falls, SC11 mi
- Hodges, SC12 mi
- Donalds, SC13 mi
- Greenwood, SC15 mi
- Iva, SC15 mi
- Ware Shoals, SC18 mi
- Honea Path, SC18 mi
- Mc Cormick, SC20 mi
- Waterloo, SC21 mi
- Starr, SC22 mi
- Belton, SC23 mi
- Ninety Six, SC24 mi
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