NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hemingway, 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
103 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Hemingway, South Carolina since 1851, 19 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Chantal in 2025. Since 1950, 64 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 19
- Tropical storms
- 84
- Tornadoes
- 64
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Hemingway
The strongest storm to pass near Hemingway was Helene in 1958, a Category 4 hurricane with 138 mph winds when its centre passed 67 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1894, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Hemingway begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Chantal in 2025, a tropical storm 20 miles away. Of the 103 systems, 25 have come since 2000. Hemingway has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 79% of the 246 South Carolina cities on this site. The strongest of the 64 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on November 24, 1967; its path came within 18 miles. Of the 64, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 30 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on September 27, 2024. Of the 246 South Carolina cities, 83% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Hemingway. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 36 times since 1982, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 246 South Carolina cities, 86% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Hemingway.
Compare Hemingway's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hemingway
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ChantalJul 6 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2024 | DebbyAug 8 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 31 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2022 | IanSep 30 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | ColinJul 2 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 42 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | BerthaMay 27 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | DorianSep 5 | 72 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 15 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2016 | MatthewOct 8 | 27 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 2 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2016 | ColinJun 7 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2015 | AnaMay 10 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 30 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | BarryJun 3 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | GastonAug 29 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 29 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2002 | KyleOct 11 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 52 mi | Category 2 (108 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | DianaSep 13 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 19 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 19 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormSep 15 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | DottieAug 21 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | Unnamed 1972 stormJul 12 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1967 | Unnamed 1967 stormJun 17 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 11 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 9 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1958 | HeleneSep 27 | 67 mi | Category 4 (138 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 17 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 26 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 45 mi | Category 4 (132 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormAug 28 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormJul 6 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 17 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 8 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 18 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 17 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 23 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormSep 6 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 14 | 36 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormOct 8 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 20 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormOct 23 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 29 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 17 | 22 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 5 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 13 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 12 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 23 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 48 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | overhead | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 27 | overhead | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 12 mi | Category 3 (112 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 25 | 18 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 11 | 51 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormOct 12 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 9 | 62 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 28 | 8 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 20 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormOct 7 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 22 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1857 | Unnamed 1857 stormSep 12 | 69 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 28 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 36 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 Hemingway: 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 Hemingway
By decade
- 2020s13
- 2010s6
- 2000s11
- 1990s15
- 1980s5
- 1970s3
- 1960s7(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 24, 1967 | F3 | 18 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF2 | 24 mi | 4.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 11, 2002 | F2 | 24 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Nov 7, 1995 | F2 | 22 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 1981 | F2 | 25 mi | 4.7 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Sep 4, 1979 | F2 | 24 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 1966 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 7, 1965 | F2 | 23 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1965 | F2 | 22 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 17, 2023 | EF1 | 25 mi | 2.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 2022 | EF1 | 14 mi | 5.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 11, 2020 | EF1 | 22 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 64, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Hemingway
The Storm Prediction Center has 36 hail reports within 10 miles of Hemingway since 1982, made on 26 separate days. Of these, 18 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 27, 1982. The most recent report is from August 20, 2024. May has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hemingway
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hemingway 8 ESE, SC, 3 miles southeast of Hemingway 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 103 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (36); 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%). Pamplico, 21 miles northwest, has its own station (Lake City 2 SE, SC): 49.8 inches a year, 0.9 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 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 Hemingway
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 83 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hemingway: 78 thunderstorm wind reports, 2 flash floods, 2 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $719,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on May 6, 2003.
August 10, 2006: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Hemingway — 2 injured, $25,000 damage.
July 16, 2016: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Hemingway — $255,000 damage.
June 3, 2017: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Hemingway — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Widespread wind damage to include tree damage was reported across the town of Hemingway.”
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 Hemingway's ZIP code 29554 have filed 27 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $653,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 67% 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, 34 have fewer than Hemingway.
Williamsburg County, which includes Hemingway, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1989, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 hurricanes, 3 ice storms, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 29, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Williamsburg County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes; Relatively Moderate for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, 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 $30.2 million a year, the 22nd highest of 46 South Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $14.9 million (49%), 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 Hemingway
- Johnsonville, SC9 mi
- Gresham, SC16 mi
- Pamplico, SC21 mi
- Andrews, SC21 mi
- Conway, SC22 mi
- Kingstree, SC22 mi
- Lake City, SC23 mi
- Georgetown, SC23 mi
- Pawleys Island, SC23 mi
- Galivants Ferry, SC23 mi
- Murrells Inlet, SC24 mi
- Aynor, SC24 mi
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