NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Cheraw, 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
64 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Cheraw, South Carolina since 1851, 7 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Chantal in 2025. Since 1950, 59 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 7
- Tropical storms
- 57
- Tornadoes
- 59
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
16 deaths in all
What the records show for Cheraw
The strongest storm to pass near Cheraw was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 2 hurricane with 101 mph winds when its centre passed 63 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1896, whose centre came within 8 miles. The record near Cheraw begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Chantal in 2025, a tropical storm 72 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 7 systems, 5 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 64 systems, 9 have come since 2000. Cheraw has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 56% of the 246 South Carolina cities on this site. The highest rating among the 59 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on March 28, 1984, came within 7 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on March 28, 1984, killed 7 people. Of the 59, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 23 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on May 14, 2024. Of the 246 South Carolina cities, 89% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Cheraw. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 74 times since 1962, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Cheraw has more hail reports within 10 miles than 56% of the 246 South Carolina cities.
Compare Cheraw's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Cheraw
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ChantalJul 6 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2024 | DebbyAug 8 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2022 | IanOct 1 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | overhead | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | overhead | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 55 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormSep 15 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | CindyJul 9 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 26 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormAug 28 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1927 | Unnamed 1927 stormOct 3 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 23 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 14 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormOct 10 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 18 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 25 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 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 54 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 8 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 27 | 74 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 63 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 46 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 12 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 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 70 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 37 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 Cheraw: 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 Cheraw
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s4
- 2000s16
- 1990s12
- 1980s10(3 EF3+)
- 1970s6
- 1960s7(2 EF3+)
- 1950s1(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 1984 | F4 | 10 mi | 17 mi | 7 / 100 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F4 | 19 mi | 40 mi | 4 / 395 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | F4 | 3 mi | 121.4 mi | 4 / 70 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F4 | 7 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 24 |
| Apr 18, 1969 | F3 | 10 mi | 77.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Aug 29, 1964 | F3 | 18 mi | 21.9 mi | 0 / 15 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF2 | 14 mi | 0.19 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 7, 2004 | F2 | 14 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F2 | 16 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 15, 1976 | F2 | 12 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 12, 1961 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.5 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF1 | 11 mi | 8.82 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 59, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Cheraw
The Storm Prediction Center has 74 hail reports within 10 miles of Cheraw since 1962, made on 54 separate days. Of these, 31 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on July 1, 2012. The most recent report is from July 15, 2024. June and July have the most reports, 21 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Cheraw
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cheraw, SC, 3 miles northeast of Cheraw at 150 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 31°F. September is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 48.8 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 57% of the year's precipitation (27.7 of 48.8 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 64 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (24); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 5.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 52 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 65 nights a year. That 48.8 inches is more than at 42 of the 78 South Carolina stations used on this site (54%). Morven, NC, 13 miles northwest, has its own station (Wadesboro, NC): 47.9 inches a year, 0.9 less than here, and the same July average high, 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 31 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Feb | 58 | 34 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Mar | 65 | 40 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 3.3 | 6 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 5.2 | 8 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Sep | 83 | 63 | 5.4 | 5 |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Dec | 57 | 34 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Year | 73 | 51 | 48.8 | 76 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cheraw, SC (150 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 Cheraw
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 138 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Cheraw: 118 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods, 7 heavy rain events, 1 flood and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 12, and the NWS estimated $53.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 105 mph, on April 13, 2020. September has had the most flash floods, 8 of 11. Of the 241 South Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 131 have had fewer than Cheraw.
January 24, 2020: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Cheraw — 6 injured.
August 21, 2011: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Cheraw — 4 injured, $80,000 damage.
NWS: “Sheriff reported trees down in Cheraw... some on vehicles and some on homes.”
August 21, 2011: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Cheraw — 2 injured, $80,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Cheraw's ZIP code 29520 have filed 12 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1982, and were paid $146,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 42% 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, 11 have fewer than Cheraw.
Chesterfield County, which includes Cheraw, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1984, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Ian, on November 21, 2022. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Chesterfield County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and tornadoes; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $22.5 million a year, the 30th highest of 46 South Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.6 million (34%), 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 Cheraw
- Chesterfield, SC10 mi
- Patrick, SC11 mi
- Morven, NC13 mi
- Bennettsville, SC13 mi
- Hamlet, NC19 mi
- Rockingham, NC19 mi
- Mount Croghan, SC20 mi
- Mc Coll, SC21 mi
- Wadesboro, NC22 mi
- Laurel Hill, NC23 mi
- Hartsville, SC23 mi
- Mc Bee, SC24 mi
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