NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Gaston, 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 Gaston, South Carolina since 1851, 5 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 120 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 5
- Tropical storms
- 54
- Tornadoes
- 120
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Gaston
The strongest storm to pass near Gaston was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 1 hurricane with 91 mph winds when its centre passed 43 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Gaston begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Debby in 2024, a tropical storm 58 miles away. The 1850s and the 1880s were the busiest decades, with 6 systems each. Of the 59 systems, 7 have come since 2000. Gaston has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 48% of the 246 South Carolina cities on this site. The highest rating among the 120 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 6 times; the most recent, on April 13, 2020, came within 20 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on April 13, 2020, killed 2 people. Of the 120, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 58 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on March 16, 2025. Gaston has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 97% of the 246 South Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 114 times since 1963, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Gaston has more hail reports within 10 miles than 77% of the 246 South Carolina cities.
Compare Gaston's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Gaston
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | DebbyAug 8 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 16 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 31 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1988 | ChrisAug 28 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormSep 15 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | CleoAug 30 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | CindyJul 9 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 26 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 9 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 17 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 8 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1927 | Unnamed 1927 stormOct 3 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 14 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormOct 9 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 18 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 15 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 43 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 27 | 73 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | overhead | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 54 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 24 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Gaston: 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 Gaston
By decade
- 2020s19(2 EF3+)
- 2010s22
- 2000s17(1 EF3+)
- 1990s31(3 EF3+)
- 1980s9
- 1970s12
- 1960s6
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF3 | 18 mi | 35.68 mi | 2 / 7 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF3 | 20 mi | 37.88 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 10, 2004 | F3 | 22 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 2, 1995 | F3 | in town | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 16, 1994 | F3 | 11 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 16, 1994 | F3 | 11 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 40 |
| Mar 13, 1955 | F2 | 24 mi | 9.9 mi | 2 / 10 |
| Jul 23, 1997 | F2 | 3 mi | 3.5 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Oct 22, 1990 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 4 |
| May 15, 1976 | F2 | 15 mi | 3.8 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Apr 5, 2022 | EF2 | 18 mi | 5.68 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF2 | 17 mi | 2.98 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 120, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Gaston
The Storm Prediction Center has 114 hail reports within 10 miles of Gaston since 1963, made on 85 separate days. Of these, 60 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on March 13, 1991. The most recent report is from February 23, 2024. June has the most reports, 27.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Gaston
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Columbia, SC, 8 miles north of Gaston at 231 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 57°F and 35°F. July is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and April and November the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 45.4 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (24.9 of 45.4 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 59 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (23); a normal September there has highs of 86°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 81 days a year, almost all from April to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 47 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 45.4 inches is more than at 17 of the 78 South Carolina stations used on this site (22%). Swansea, 7 miles south, has its own station (Pelion 0.8 NW, SC): 51.9 inches a year, 6.5 more than here, and the same July average high, 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 35 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.6 |
| Feb | 61 | 37 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Mar | 68 | 44 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 77 | 52 | 2.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| May | 84 | 61 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 90 | 69 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 5.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 91 | 71 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 86 | 65 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 77 | 53 | 3.1 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 66 | 42 | 2.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 59 | 37 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Year | 76 | 53 | 45.4 | 71 | 1.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Columbia, SC (231 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 Gaston
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 251 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Gaston: 217 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 flash floods, 7 heavy rain events, 4 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 2 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $7.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on May 30, 2025. October has had the most flash floods, 7 of 22. Of the 241 South Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 200 have had fewer than Gaston.
August 30, 1998: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Gaston — 1 killed, $12,000 damage.
June 27, 2015: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Gaston — 1 killed.
October 4, 2015: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Gaston — $5.0 million 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
Lexington County, which includes Gaston, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 hurricanes, 3 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 29, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lexington County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $108.2 million a year, the 8th highest of 46 South Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $46.9 million (43%), 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 Gaston
- Swansea, SC7 mi
- West Columbia, SC9 mi
- Cayce, SC9 mi
- Pelion, SC10 mi
- Lexington, SC12 mi
- North, SC14 mi
- Hopkins, SC15 mi
- Columbia, SC17 mi
- Gilbert, SC19 mi
- Gadsden, SC20 mi
- St Matthews, SC20 mi
- Neeses, SC21 mi
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