NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Pickens, 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
12 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Pickens, South Carolina since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 84 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 12
- Tornadoes
- 84
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Pickens
None of the 12 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Pickens; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 32 miles away. The record near Pickens begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 42 miles away. The 1880s and the 1900s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 12 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 246 South Carolina cities on this site, 98% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Pickens. The highest rating among the 84 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 13, 2020, came within 14 miles. Of the 84, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 47 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 19. The most recent tornado was on May 3, 2025. Pickens has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 55% of the 246 South Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 121 times since 1961, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Pickens has more hail reports within 10 miles than 80% of the 246 South Carolina cities.
Compare Pickens's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Pickens
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Pickens: 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 Pickens
By decade
- 2020s20(1 EF3+)
- 2010s11
- 2000s16
- 1990s15(1 EF3+)
- 1980s6
- 1970s11(1 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF3 | 14 mi | 16.71 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 18 mi | 28 mi | 0 / 37 |
| May 27, 1973 | F3 | 19 mi | 60.2 mi | 0 / 40 |
| Mar 23, 2022 | EF2 | 2 mi | 6.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 2020 | EF2 | 18 mi | 5.47 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF2 | 5 mi | 7.97 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Oct 8, 2017 | EF2 | 2 mi | 8.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 26, 2008 | EF2 | 18 mi | 5.48 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 7, 1998 | F2 | 9 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Sep 16, 1996 | F2 | 21 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 26, 1994 | F2 | 13 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 15 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 84, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Pickens
The Storm Prediction Center has 121 hail reports within 10 miles of Pickens since 1961, made on 86 separate days. Of these, 67 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 3, 1998. The most recent report is from June 26, 2025. June has the most reports, 33.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Pickens
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Pickens, SC, 2 miles south of Pickens at 1,075 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 30°F. December is the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and May the driest at 4.0 inches; the year adds up to 56.7 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 49% of the year's precipitation (27.7 of 56.7 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 12 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 4.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 49 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 74 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.0 inches a year, most of it in January and December. That 56.7 inches is more than at 73 of the 78 South Carolina stations used on this site (94%). Central, 13 miles south, has its own station (Clemson Univ, SC): 52.6 inches a year, 4.1 less than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 30 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Feb | 56 | 33 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Mar | 64 | 39 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 73 | 47 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 57 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 62 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 49 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 63 | 38 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 55 | 33 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Year | 72 | 49 | 56.7 | 79 | 1.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Pickens, SC (1,075 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 Pickens
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 198 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Pickens: 183 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 flash floods, 5 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 22, 2005. August has had the most flash floods, 4 of 9. Of the 241 South Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 118 have had fewer than Pickens.
August 6, 2013: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Pickens — 1 killed, $50,000 damage.
July 4, 1997: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Pickens — 1 injured.
February 6, 2020: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Pickens — $1.5 million damage.
NWS: “Emergency manager and automated stream gauges reported significant flash flooding developed across Pickens County after 4 to 7 inches of rain, with locally higher amounts fell in about an 18-hour period. More than half of that rain fell in less than 6 hours from daybreak through late morning of the 6th.”
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
Pickens County, which includes Pickens, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 hurricanes, 3 fires, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on April 7, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Pickens County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $37.1 million a year, the 20th highest of 46 South Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $23.5 million (63%), 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.