NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bethune, 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
59 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bethune, South Carolina since 1851, 4 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 65 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 4
- Tropical storms
- 55
- Tornadoes
- 65
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Bethune
The strongest storm to pass near Bethune was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 1 hurricane with 87 mph winds when its centre passed 22 miles away. The record near Bethune begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Debby in 2024, a tropical storm 7 miles away. The 1850s and the 1880s were the busiest decades, with 6 systems each. Of the 59 systems, 9 have come since 2000. Of the 246 South Carolina cities on this site, 51% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Bethune. The highest rating among the 65 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 28, 1984, came within 17 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 8, 1957, killed 4 people. Of the 65, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 26 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on June 16, 2022. Of the 246 South Carolina cities, 80% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Bethune. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 49 times since 1990, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 246 South Carolina cities, 69% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Bethune.
Compare Bethune's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bethune
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | DebbyAug 8 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2022 | IanOct 1 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 16 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 25 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormSep 15 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | CindyJul 9 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 26 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormAug 28 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 9 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 17 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1927 | Unnamed 1927 stormOct 3 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 14 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormOct 10 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 18 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 13 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 22 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 27 | 74 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | overhead | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 29 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 28 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 24 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bethune: 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 Bethune
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s7
- 2000s17(1 EF3+)
- 1990s15
- 1980s6(1 EF3+)
- 1970s6
- 1960s11(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 1957 | F4 | 16 mi | 121.4 mi | 4 / 70 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F4 | 17 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 36 |
| Sep 7, 2004 | F3 | 15 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 18, 1969 | F3 | 13 mi | 77.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jan 11, 2020 | EF2 | 9 mi | 0.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 2010 | EF2 | 22 mi | 0.63 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 21 mi | 14.08 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 2 mi | 23.04 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 7, 2004 | F2 | 14 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jul 23, 1997 | F2 | 14 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F2 | 15 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 20, 1980 | F2 | 20 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 6 |
The strongest 12 of 65, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bethune
The Storm Prediction Center has 49 hail reports within 10 miles of Bethune since 1990, made on 36 separate days. Of these, 22 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 5, 2020. The most recent report is from May 10, 2024. May has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bethune
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Bishopville 1ENE, SC, 17 miles southeast of Bethune at 203 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 55°F and 33°F. August is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and April and November the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 46.7 inches over 70 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (24.7 of 46.7 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 59 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (22); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 4.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 63 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 60 nights a year. That 46.7 inches is more than at 26 of the 78 South Carolina stations used on this site (33%). Mc Bee, 7 miles northeast, has its own station (Hartsville, SC): 48.5 inches a year, 1.8 more than here, and the same July average high, 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 33 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Feb | 59 | 35 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Mar | 67 | 41 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Apr | 75 | 49 | 3.0 | 5 |
| May | 82 | 59 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Oct | 76 | 51 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Nov | 66 | 40 | 3.0 | 5 |
| Dec | 59 | 35 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Year | 74 | 51 | 46.7 | 70 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Bishopville 1ENE, SC (203 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 Bethune
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 94 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bethune: 91 thunderstorm wind reports, 2 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $248,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 22, 1997.
June 20, 1996: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Bethune — 1 killed, $18,000 damage.
June 19, 1998: thunderstorm wind in Bethune — 2 injured.
NWS: “some on cars with two minor injuries.”
August 12, 2004: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Bethune — $100,000 damage.
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
Kershaw County, which includes Bethune, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 29, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Kershaw County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $23.5 million a year, the 27th highest of 46 South Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.6 million (41%), 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.