NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Anderson, 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
17 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Anderson, South Carolina since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 100 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 17
- Tornadoes
- 100
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Anderson
None of the 17 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Anderson; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 22 miles away. The record near Anderson begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 31 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 4 systems. Of the 17 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Of the 246 South Carolina cities on this site, 91% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Anderson. The highest rating among the 100 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 13, 2020, came within 18 miles. Of the 100, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 51 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 23. The most recent tornado was on May 3, 2025. Anderson has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 80% of the 246 South Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 127 times since 1957, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Anderson has more hail reports within 10 miles than 82% of the 246 South Carolina cities.
Compare Anderson's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Anderson
Of the 17 tracks on the map, 9 were moving northeast as they passed Anderson, 4 north and 2 east. The unnamed 1949 storm, the strongest pass, was heading north; its centre passed 22 miles east of Anderson. None made landfall within 75 miles of Anderson; 13 of the 17 were hurricanes at their peak, none at their closest to the city. In the last 30 seasons (1996–2025), 3 came near Anderson: 1.0 a decade, against 1.0 a decade from 1851 to 1995.
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 18 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Anderson: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Check hail and hurricane history for any address
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Anderson
By decade
- 2020s12(1 EF3+)
- 2010s13
- 2000s26
- 1990s27
- 1980s7
- 1970s9(2 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF3 | 18 mi | 16.71 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 8, 1974 | F3 | 8 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 1973 | F3 | 22 mi | 60.2 mi | 0 / 40 |
| May 3, 2021 | EF2 | 23 mi | 29.35 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 8, 2017 | EF2 | 18 mi | 8.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF2 | 25 mi | 6.71 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Aug 26, 2008 | EF2 | 9 mi | 5.48 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 7, 1998 | F2 | 20 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Sep 16, 1996 | F2 | 5 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 18 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 20 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 1980 | F2 | 3 mi | 33.4 mi | 0 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 100, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Anderson
The Storm Prediction Center has 127 hail reports within 10 miles of Anderson since 1957, made on 92 separate days. Of these, 64 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on April 8, 1957. The most recent report is from November 8, 2025. June has the most reports, 34.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Anderson
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Anderson, SC, 1 mile north of Anderson at 800 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 33°F. December is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 50.4 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 47% of the year's precipitation (23.9 of 50.4 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 17 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 3.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 61 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 57 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.9 inches a year, most of it in February. That 50.4 inches is more than at 52 of the 78 South Carolina stations used on this site (67%). Starr, 10 miles south, has its own station (Anderson Co Airport, SC): 46.3 inches a year, 4.1 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 | 53 | 33 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Feb | 57 | 35 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Mar | 65 | 41 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 64 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 52 | 3.3 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 55 | 35 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Year | 73 | 51 | 50.4 | 76 | 0.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Anderson, SC (800 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 Anderson
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 218 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Anderson: 195 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods, 6 lightning strikes, 4 floods and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $2.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on April 10, 2009. Of the 241 South Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 131 have had fewer than Anderson.
August 7, 2023: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Anderson — 1 killed, $30,000 damage.
NWS: “Ham radio operator and emergency manager reported numerous trees and limbs blown down, along with some power lines down from the Centerville area across the north side of Anderson. A 15-year-old male was killed by a tree falling on an outbuilding on Arnold Drive.”
March 28, 2010: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Anderson — 2 injured, $5,000 damage.
NWS: “Lightning struck a power line on Fawn Hill Rd, which resulted in minor injuries to two people in two different homes. Small fires ignited in both homes, causing some minor damage.”
June 13, 2001: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Anderson — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Severe thunderstorm winds caused damage to some buildings at the county fairgrounds, resulting in postponement of a bingo tournament. Roofs were blown off three buildings.”
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Anderson's 4 ZIP codes have filed 20 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $240,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 10% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 110 South Carolina cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 24 have fewer than Anderson.
Anderson County, which includes Anderson, 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 ice storms, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 29, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Anderson County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail and inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $67.3 million a year, the 12th highest of 46 South Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $33.0 million (49%), 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 Anderson
- Starr, SC10 mi
- Belton, SC10 mi
- Pendleton, SC11 mi
- Townville, SC12 mi
- Williamston, SC12 mi
- Iva, SC15 mi
- Pelzer, SC16 mi
- Clemson, SC16 mi
- Honea Path, SC16 mi
- Central, SC17 mi
- Hartwell, GA17 mi
- Liberty, SC19 mi
All South Carolina cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Anderson with another place →