NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Kershaw, 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 Kershaw, South Carolina since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 61 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 53
- Tornadoes
- 61
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
9 deaths in all
What the records show for Kershaw
The strongest storm to pass near Kershaw was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 1 hurricane with 87 mph winds when its centre passed 35 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 16 miles. The record near Kershaw begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Debby in 2024, a tropical storm 15 miles away. The 1850s and the 1880s were the busiest decades, with 6 systems each. Of the 56 systems, 8 have come since 2000. Of the 246 South Carolina cities on this site, 55% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Kershaw. The highest rating among the 61 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on March 28, 1984, came within 23 miles. Of the 61, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 25 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on May 23, 2022. Of the 246 South Carolina cities, 87% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Kershaw. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 44 times since 1960, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 246 South Carolina cities, 74% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Kershaw.
Compare Kershaw's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Kershaw
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | DebbyAug 8 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2022 | IanOct 1 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 16 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 19 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormSep 15 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | CindyJul 9 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 26 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormAug 28 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 9 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 17 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1927 | Unnamed 1927 stormOct 3 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormOct 10 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 18 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 13 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 35 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 16 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 45 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 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 28 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 24 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Kershaw: 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 Kershaw
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s5
- 2000s17(1 EF3+)
- 1990s14
- 1980s7(2 EF3+)
- 1970s5
- 1960s7
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 1984 | F4 | 23 mi | 21 mi | 5 / 49 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | F4 | 6 mi | 121.4 mi | 4 / 70 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F4 | 4 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 36 |
| Sep 7, 2004 | F3 | 14 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 5, 2020 | EF2 | 14 mi | 13.98 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 11, 2020 | EF2 | 8 mi | 0.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 11 mi | 23.04 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 7, 2004 | F2 | 24 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jul 23, 1997 | F2 | 17 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 16, 1994 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F2 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 18, 1969 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.8 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 Kershaw
The Storm Prediction Center has 44 hail reports within 10 miles of Kershaw since 1960, made on 37 separate days. Of these, 18 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently May 5, 2020. The most recent report is from May 10, 2024. May has the most reports, 23.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Kershaw
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Pageland, SC, 18 miles northeast of Kershaw 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%). Bethune, 14 miles southeast, has its own station (Bishopville 1ENE, SC): 46.7 inches a year, 1.6 less 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 Kershaw
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 104 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Kershaw: 99 thunderstorm wind reports and 5 flash floods. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $345,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 105 mph, on May 5, 2020. August has had the most flash floods, 3 of 5. Of the 241 South Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 55 have had fewer than Kershaw.
July 28, 2012: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Kershaw — 1 injured, $16,000 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
Lancaster County, which includes Kershaw, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 29, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lancaster County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $40.1 million a year, the 18th highest of 46 South Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $20.5 million (51%), 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 Kershaw
- Heath Springs, SC9 mi
- Jefferson, SC12 mi
- Bethune, SC14 mi
- Cassatt, SC14 mi
- Lancaster, SC17 mi
- Pageland, SC18 mi
- Mc Bee, SC18 mi
- Camden, SC19 mi
- Mount Croghan, SC20 mi
- Great Falls, SC21 mi
- Fort Lawn, SC23 mi
- Ridgeway, SC24 mi
All South Carolina cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Kershaw with another place →