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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Pelion, SC

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

58 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Pelion, South Carolina since 1851, 4 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 108 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
4

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
54

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
108

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
5

6 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Pelion

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Pelion, South Carolina, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2024DebbyAug 868 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
2021ElsaJul 816 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
2019NestorOct 2017 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2018MichaelOct 1134 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 5
2018FlorenceSep 1612 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 4
2013AndreaJun 763 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2006AlbertoJun 1449 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1998EarlSep 355 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1995AllisonJun 652 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1989HugoSep 2241 miCategory 1 (90 mph)Category 5
1988ChrisAug 2868 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1985KateNov 2267 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 3
1985BobJul 2537 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 1
1979DavidSep 524 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 5
1976Unnamed 1976 stormSep 1566 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1970AlmaMay 2637 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1965Unnamed 1965 stormJun 1618 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1964DoraSep 1371 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 4
1964CleoAug 3055 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 4
1959GracieSep 3018 miTropical storm (71 mph)Category 4
1959CindyJul 967 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1956FlossySep 2651 miTropical storm (49 mph)Category 1
1952AbleAug 3123 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 2
1949Unnamed 1949 stormAug 2869 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 4
1947Unnamed 1947 stormSep 2457 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1946Unnamed 1946 stormOct 99 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 2
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 1760 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormOct 2043 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1941Unnamed 1941 stormOct 871 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 3
1935Unnamed 1935 stormSep 516 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 5
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 219 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1927Unnamed 1927 stormOct 331 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3061 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormJul 1536 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 3
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 324 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1913Unnamed 1913 stormOct 949 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1912Unnamed 1912 stormJun 1443 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1906Unnamed 1906 stormSep 1825 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1515 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1901Unnamed 1901 stormSep 1851 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1896Unnamed 1896 stormSep 2950 miCategory 1 (92 mph)Category 3
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 974 miTropical storm (70 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 425 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 289 miCategory 1 (87 mph)Category 3
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2441 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 2
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1029 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJul 137 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 2
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJun 2245 miTropical storm (45 mph)Category 2
1885Unnamed 1885 stormOct 1215 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 1169 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1878Unnamed 1878 stormSep 1263 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 413 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1859Unnamed 1859 stormSep 1769 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1856Unnamed 1856 stormSep 136 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 3
1854Unnamed 1854 stormSep 913 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 3
1852Unnamed 1852 stormOct 1048 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1852Unnamed 1852 stormAug 2725 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1851Unnamed 1851 stormAug 2419 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 3

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

By decade

  • 2020s18(2 EF3+)
  • 2010s21
  • 2000s15
  • 1990s29(3 EF3+)
  • 1980s6
  • 1970s10
  • 1960s5
  • 1950s4
Strongest tornadoes near Pelion, South Carolina
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Apr 13, 2020EF320 mi35.68 mi2 / 7
Apr 13, 2020EF317 mi37.88 mi0 / 0
Nov 2, 1995F310 mi1.5 mi0 / 0
Aug 16, 1994F310 mi0.3 mi0 / 0
Aug 16, 1994F311 mi8 mi0 / 40
Mar 13, 1955F216 mi9.9 mi2 / 10
Jul 23, 1997F213 mi3.5 mi1 / 6
May 15, 1976F223 mi3.8 mi1 / 3
Apr 5, 2022EF210 mi5.68 mi0 / 1
Apr 15, 2018EF211 mi2.98 mi0 / 0
Apr 5, 2017EF225 mi7.2 mi0 / 1
Apr 19, 2015EF218 mi19.54 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 108, 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 Pelion 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