NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Isle Of Palms, 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
114 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Isle Of Palms, South Carolina since 1851, 36 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Chantal in 2025. Since 1950, 61 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 36
- Tropical storms
- 78
- Tornadoes
- 61
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Isle Of Palms
The strongest storm to pass near Isle Of Palms was Helene in 1958, a Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds when its centre passed 68 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Hugo in 1989, whose centre came within 2 miles. The record near Isle Of Palms begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Chantal in 2025, a tropical storm 57 miles away. Of the 114 systems, 24 have come since 2000. Isle Of Palms has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 98% of the 246 South Carolina cities on this site. The strongest of the 61 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on September 11, 1960; its path came within 4 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on May 10, 1998, killed 1 person. Of the 61, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 38 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, 87% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Isle Of Palms. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 85 times since 1957, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Isle Of Palms has more hail reports within 10 miles than 65% of the 246 South Carolina cities.
Compare Isle Of Palms's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Isle Of Palms
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ChantalJul 6 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2024 | DebbyAug 8 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 31 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2022 | IanSep 30 | 36 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | ColinJul 2 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | DannyJun 28 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | EtaNov 13 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 3 | 37 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | BerthaMay 27 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | DorianSep 5 | 49 mi | Category 3 (110 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 15 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2016 | MatthewOct 8 | 5 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | JuliaSep 15 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2016 | HermineSep 2 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2016 | ColinJun 7 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 30 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2008 | CristobalJul 19 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2007 | BarryJun 3 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoAug 31 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | GastonAug 29 | 14 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 15 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2002 | KyleOct 11 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | IreneOct 17 | 61 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 75 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 2 mi | Category 4 (138 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | IsidoreSep 29 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 18 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 19 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormSep 15 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | DottieAug 20 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormMay 24 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1975 | HallieOct 26 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | Unnamed 1972 stormJul 12 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | GladysOct 19 | 67 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1967 | Unnamed 1967 stormJun 17 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 10 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1963 | GinnyOct 25 | 64 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 11 | 61 mi | Category 2 (99 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | GracieSep 29 | 42 mi | Category 4 (132 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | CindyJul 9 | 16 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1958 | HeleneSep 27 | 68 mi | Category 4 (150 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | Unnamed 1957 stormJun 9 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 17 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 26 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 62 mi | Category 4 (132 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | Unnamed 1954 stormJul 11 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 56 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormJul 5 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 17 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormJun 25 | 63 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 8 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 11 | 56 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 15 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 18 | 13 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1927 | Unnamed 1927 stormOct 3 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 17 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormJun 27 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormSep 5 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 14 | 17 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormOct 8 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 28 | 53 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 20 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormOct 23 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 29 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormOct 20 | 55 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 17 | 44 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 38 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 12 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 49 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 57 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 27 | 31 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 9 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormJun 18 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 31 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 25 | 6 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1884 | Unnamed 1884 stormSep 12 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 11 | 68 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormOct 12 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 9 | 30 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 11 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 33 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 28 | 11 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 20 | overhead | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormOct 6 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 29 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 19 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1868 | Unnamed 1868 stormOct 5 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 22 | 2 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 14 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1853 | Unnamed 1853 stormOct 22 | 53 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 28 | 54 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 Isle Of Palms: 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 Isle Of Palms
By decade
- 2020s12
- 2010s7
- 2000s19
- 1990s5
- 1980s3
- 1970s4
- 1960s9(1 EF3+)
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 1960 | F3 | 4 mi | 8.8 mi | 0 / 10 |
| May 10, 1998 | F2 | 20 mi | 10.5 mi | 1 / 7 |
| Sep 24, 2015 | EF2 | 18 mi | 6.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 11, 2008 | EF2 | 16 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 29, 1964 | F2 | 8 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Aug 5, 2024 | EF1 | in town | 0.71 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 30, 2023 | EF1 | 21 mi | 1.88 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 8, 2021 | EF1 | 8 mi | 0.82 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 20, 2020 | EF1 | 20 mi | 0.77 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF1 | 24 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 11, 2017 | EF1 | 16 mi | 0.43 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF1 | 18 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 61, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Isle Of Palms
The Storm Prediction Center has 85 hail reports within 10 miles of Isle Of Palms since 1957, made on 45 separate days. Of these, 55 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 10, 2011. The most recent report is from May 17, 2023. May has the most reports, 39.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Isle Of Palms
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Sullivans Is, SC, 6 miles southwest of Isle Of Palms at 5 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 59°F and 37°F. August is the wettest at 6.7 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 51.6 inches. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 59% of the year's precipitation (30.5 of 51.6 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 114 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (37); a normal September there has highs of 86°F and 5.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 55 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 18 nights a year. That 51.6 inches is more than at 59 of the 78 South Carolina stations used on this site (76%). Daniel Island, 11 miles northwest, has its own station (Charleston International Airport, SC): 52.7 inches a year, 1.1 more than here, and the same July average high, 91°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Charleston, SC, 9 miles west, averaged 86°F in July and 54°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from June to September. Sea level at the Charleston tide gauge, 9 miles from Isle Of Palms, has risen 1.38 ± 0.04 inches per decade from 1901 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 13.8 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 82 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 37 | 3.8 | 54 |
| Feb | 61 | 39 | 3.3 | 54 |
| Mar | 67 | 45 | 3.5 | 61 |
| Apr | 75 | 54 | 3.6 | 68 |
| May | 82 | 63 | 3.3 | 76 |
| Jun | 88 | 70 | 5.4 | 82 |
| Jul | 91 | 73 | 6.0 | 86 |
| Aug | 90 | 72 | 6.7 | 84 |
| Sep | 86 | 68 | 5.5 | 81 |
| Oct | 78 | 58 | 3.9 | 73 |
| Nov | 69 | 47 | 3.0 | 65 |
| Dec | 62 | 40 | 3.6 | 57 |
| Year | 76 | 55 | 51.6 | 70 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Sullivans Is, SC (5 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Charleston, SC, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 Isle Of Palms
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 168 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Isle Of Palms: 103 thunderstorm wind reports, 49 flash floods, 15 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 8, and the NWS estimated $4.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 82 mph, on May 9, 1997. August has had the most flash floods, 19 of 49. Of the 241 South Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 226 have had fewer than Isle Of Palms.
December 17, 2023: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Isle Of Palms — 1 killed.
July 16, 2017: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Isle Of Palms — 4 injured.
NWS: “Charleston County dispatch reported that 4 people were injured by a nearby lightning strike on the boardwalk to the beach near Ocean Point Drive in the Wild Dunes area. The 4 injured people were transported to the hospital.”
July 7, 2018: lightning strike 1 mile from the centre of Isle Of Palms — 3 injured.
NWS: “The Isle of Palms Fire Department reported that lightning struck and injured 3 people on Isle of Palms beach near 21st Avenue. A male lost consciousness for a brief period and a female had to be pulled out of the water in cardiac arrest.”
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 Isle Of Palms's ZIP code 29451 have filed 2,691 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $65.8 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Hugo in 1989: 2,017 claims (75% of all) and $62.7 million, then Hurricane Floyd in 1999 with 193 and October severe storms in 2015 with 137. 93% 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, 104 have fewer than Isle Of Palms.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Hugo1989 | 2,017 | $62.7 million |
| Hurricane Floyd1999 | 193 | $0 |
| October severe storms2015 | 137 | $1.0 million |
| Flooding1994 | 54 | $89,000 |
| December Nor'easter2023 | 40 | $655,000 |
| Hurricane Irma2017 | 35 | $584,000 |
Charleston County, which includes Isle Of Palms, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 16 hurricanes, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Ian, on November 21, 2022. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Charleston County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes and coastal flooding; Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $499.8 million a year, the highest of 46 South Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $281.3 million (56%), 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 Isle Of Palms
- Mount Pleasant, SC5 mi
- Sullivans Island, SC5 mi
- Daniel Island, SC11 mi
- Charleston, SC13 mi
- Awendaw, SC13 mi
- North Charleston, SC17 mi
- Huger, SC17 mi
- Charleston Afb, SC18 mi
- Johns Island, SC19 mi
- Goose Creek, SC20 mi
- Ladson, SC25 mi
- Wadmalaw Island, SC26 mi
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