NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Jefferson, 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
56 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Jefferson, South Carolina since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 54 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 53
- Tornadoes
- 54
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Jefferson
The strongest storm to pass near Jefferson was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 1 hurricane with 86 mph winds when its centre passed 28 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 24 miles. The record near Jefferson begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Debby in 2024, a tropical storm 4 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 6 systems. Of the 56 systems, 9 have come since 2000. Of the 246 South Carolina cities on this site, 55% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Jefferson. The highest rating among the 54 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 28, 1984, came within 13 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 8, 1957, killed 4 people. Of the 54, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 17 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 10. The most recent tornado was on April 13, 2020. Of the 246 South Carolina cities, 96% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Jefferson. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 32 times since 1974, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 246 South Carolina cities, 90% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Jefferson.
Compare Jefferson's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Jefferson
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | DebbyAug 8 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2022 | IanOct 1 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 16 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 31 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormSep 15 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | CindyJul 9 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 26 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormAug 28 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 9 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1927 | Unnamed 1927 stormOct 3 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 14 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormOct 10 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 18 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 13 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 28 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 24 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 47 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 Jefferson: 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 Jefferson
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s5
- 2000s10(1 EF3+)
- 1990s11
- 1980s8(1 EF3+)
- 1970s9
- 1960s7(1 EF3+)
- 1950s2(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 1957 | F4 | 2 mi | 121.4 mi | 4 / 70 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F4 | 13 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 36 |
| Sep 7, 2004 | F3 | 24 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 18, 1969 | F3 | 20 mi | 77.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jan 11, 2020 | EF2 | 17 mi | 0.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 13 mi | 23.04 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 7, 2004 | F2 | 14 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F2 | 12 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 15, 1976 | F2 | 22 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Mar 24, 1975 | F2 | 24 mi | 30.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 12, 1961 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.5 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF1 | 23 mi | 8.82 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 54, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Jefferson
The Storm Prediction Center has 32 hail reports within 10 miles of Jefferson since 1974, made on 27 separate days. Of these, 10 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 May 10, 2024. May has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Jefferson
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Pageland, SC, 9 miles north of Jefferson at 520 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 55°F and 33°F. August is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and May the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 48.3 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (26.1 of 48.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 56 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (21); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 4.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 57 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 50 nights a year. That 48.3 inches is more than at 36 of the 78 South Carolina stations used on this site (46%). Mc Bee, 13 miles southeast, has its own station (Hartsville, SC): 48.5 inches a year, 0.2 more than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 33 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Feb | 59 | 35 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Mar | 66 | 41 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Apr | 75 | 50 | 3.6 | 6 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 4.1 | 7 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 5.3 | 7 |
| Sep | 84 | 64 | 4.4 | 5 |
| Oct | 76 | 52 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Dec | 57 | 36 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Year | 74 | 51 | 48.3 | 74 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Pageland, SC (520 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 Jefferson
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 87 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Jefferson: 69 thunderstorm wind reports, 15 flash floods and 3 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $272,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on November 11, 2002. Of the 241 South Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 171 have had fewer than Jefferson.
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
Chesterfield County, which includes Jefferson, 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 Jefferson
- Mount Croghan, SC8 mi
- Pageland, SC10 mi
- Kershaw, SC12 mi
- Mc Bee, SC13 mi
- Bethune, SC14 mi
- Chesterfield, SC16 mi
- Patrick, SC17 mi
- Heath Springs, SC20 mi
- Cassatt, SC21 mi
- Hartsville, SC23 mi
- Lancaster, SC24 mi
- Peachland, NC24 mi
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