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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Pacolet, SC

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

24 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Pacolet, South Carolina since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Michael in 2018. Since 1950, 81 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
2

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
22

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
81

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
4

5 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Pacolet

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Pacolet, South Carolina, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2018MichaelOct 1140 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 5
2006AlbertoJun 1472 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1989HugoSep 2232 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 5
1985BobJul 2571 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1979DavidSep 564 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 5
1965Unnamed 1965 stormJun 1664 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1959GracieSep 3024 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 4
1952AbleAug 3157 miTropical storm (49 mph)Category 2
1949Unnamed 1949 stormAug 2812 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1946Unnamed 1946 stormOct 967 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 2
1927Unnamed 1927 stormOct 354 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1916Unnamed 1916 stormJul 1520 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 3
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 329 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1912Unnamed 1912 stormJun 1440 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1907Unnamed 1907 stormSep 2330 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1906Unnamed 1906 stormSep 1829 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormOct 1137 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1901Unnamed 1901 stormSep 2855 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 458 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2856 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 3
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2438 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 2
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJun 2223 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 2
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 1110 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1859Unnamed 1859 stormSep 1712 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Pacolet: 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 Pacolet

By decade

  • 2020s11
  • 2010s12
  • 2000s10
  • 1990s26(1 EF3+)
  • 1980s7(1 EF3+)
  • 1970s6(1 EF3+)
  • 1960s6
  • 1950s3(1 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Pacolet, South Carolina
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
May 5, 1989F416 mi15 mi2 / 35
May 10, 1952F39 mi22.7 mi2 / 4
Aug 16, 1994F3in town30 mi0 / 0
May 27, 1973F317 mi60.2 mi0 / 40
Oct 23, 2017EF215 mi4.86 mi0 / 0
Oct 23, 2017EF213 mi3.02 mi0 / 1
Oct 8, 2017EF28 mi22.28 mi0 / 0
Feb 21, 1997F213 mi1 mi0 / 0
Aug 16, 1994F28 mi10 mi0 / 1
Aug 16, 1994F221 mi4 mi0 / 0
Mar 27, 1994F217 mi45.4 mi0 / 13
Apr 15, 1993F216 mi6 mi0 / 2

The strongest 12 of 81, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Pacolet while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

Other cities in South Carolina