NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Gresham, 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
100 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Gresham, South Carolina since 1851, 18 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Chantal in 2025. Since 1950, 63 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 18
- Tropical storms
- 82
- Tornadoes
- 63
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Gresham
The strongest storm to pass near Gresham was Hazel in 1954, a Category 4 hurricane with 132 mph winds when its centre passed 44 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1904, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Gresham begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Chantal in 2025, a tropical storm 15 miles away. The 1880s and the 2020s were the busiest decades, with 9 systems each. Of the 100 systems, 24 have come since 2000. Gresham has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 78% of the 246 South Carolina cities on this site. The strongest of the 63 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on November 7, 1995; its path came within 14 miles. Of the 63, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 18 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on September 27, 2024. Of the 246 South Carolina cities, 85% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Gresham. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 28 times since 1971, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 246 South Carolina cities, 93% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Gresham.
Compare Gresham's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Gresham
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ChantalJul 6 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2024 | DebbyAug 8 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 31 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2022 | IanSep 30 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | ColinJul 2 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 46 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | BerthaMay 27 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 15 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2016 | MatthewOct 8 | 37 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 3 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2016 | ColinJun 7 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2015 | AnaMay 10 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 30 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | BarryJun 3 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | GastonAug 29 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 36 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2002 | KyleOct 11 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 70 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 62 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | DianaSep 13 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 19 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 20 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormSep 15 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | DottieAug 21 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | Unnamed 1972 stormJul 12 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1967 | Unnamed 1967 stormJun 18 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 9 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 26 | overhead | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 44 mi | Category 4 (132 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormAug 28 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormJul 6 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 17 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 8 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 17 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 23 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormSep 6 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 14 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormOct 10 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 20 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormOct 23 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 17 | 38 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | overhead | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 13 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 21 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 44 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 27 | 15 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 15 mi | Category 2 (108 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 25 | 27 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 11 | 49 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormOct 12 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 9 | 72 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 9 | 72 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 28 | 15 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 20 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormOct 7 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1857 | Unnamed 1857 stormSep 12 | 73 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 28 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 24 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 Gresham: 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 Gresham
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s1
- 2000s8
- 1990s14(1 EF3+)
- 1980s9
- 1970s2
- 1960s16(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 7, 1995 | F4 | 14 mi | 0.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 24, 1967 | F3 | 8 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 7, 1995 | F2 | 19 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1985 | F2 | 19 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F2 | 23 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Jun 10, 1982 | F2 | 18 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 16 |
| May 27, 1981 | F2 | 15 mi | 4.7 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Dec 1, 1967 | F2 | 24 mi | 14.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 12, 1967 | F2 | 23 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 1966 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 7, 1965 | F2 | 10 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1965 | F2 | 19 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 63, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Gresham
The Storm Prediction Center has 28 hail reports within 10 miles of Gresham since 1971, made on 22 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 25, 2000. The most recent report is from April 7, 2022. May has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Gresham
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hemingway 8 ESE, SC, 18 miles south of Gresham at 40 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 57°F and 35°F. September is the wettest at 6.9 inches of precipitation on average and December the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 50.7 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 60% of the year's precipitation (30.4 of 50.7 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 100 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (35); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 6.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 43 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 52 nights a year. That 50.7 inches is more than at 55 of the 78 South Carolina stations used on this site (71%). Galivants Ferry, 11 miles northeast, has its own station (Mullins, SC): 53.3 inches a year, 2.6 more than here, and the same July average high, 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 35 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Feb | 61 | 37 | 3.4 | 7 |
| Mar | 67 | 42 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Apr | 76 | 50 | 3.2 | 5 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Jun | 87 | 68 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 5.1 | 8 |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 6.5 | 10 |
| Sep | 84 | 65 | 6.9 | 6 |
| Oct | 76 | 53 | 4.5 | 5 |
| Nov | 66 | 43 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Dec | 60 | 38 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Year | 74 | 53 | 50.7 | 77 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hemingway 8 ESE, SC (40 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 Gresham
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 66 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Gresham: 57 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 flash floods, 3 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $579,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on August 25, 2002.
August 10, 2006: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Gresham — 2 injured, $25,000 damage.
April 9, 2011: lightning strike 6 miles from the centre of Gresham — $300,000 damage.
NWS: “Lightning struck the Centenary Baptist Church. It burned to the ground.”
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 Gresham's ZIP code 29546 have filed 63 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1987, and were paid $1.7 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Florence in 2018: 31 claims (49% of all) and $1.1 million, then Hurricane Matthew in 2016 with 16. 81% 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, 64 have fewer than Gresham.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Florence2018 | 31 | $1.1 million |
| Hurricane Matthew2016 | 16 | $515,000 |
Marion County, which includes Gresham, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1989, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 16 hurricanes, 3 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Ian, on November 21, 2022. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Marion County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $27.1 million a year, the 25th highest of 46 South Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $12.5 million (46%), is from hurricanes.
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 Gresham
- Johnsonville, SC9 mi
- Galivants Ferry, SC11 mi
- Pamplico, SC12 mi
- Aynor, SC13 mi
- Marion, SC16 mi
- Hemingway, SC16 mi
- Mullins, SC19 mi
- Conway, SC19 mi
- Coward, SC22 mi
- Nichols, SC22 mi
- Scranton, SC23 mi
- Lake City, SC23 mi
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