NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit St Matthews, 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
70 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of St Matthews, South Carolina since 1851, 8 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 116 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 8
- Tropical storms
- 62
- Tornadoes
- 116
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for St Matthews
The strongest storm to pass near St Matthews was Hugo in 1989, a Category 1 hurricane with 93 mph winds when its centre passed 20 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Gracie in 1959, whose centre came within 6 miles. The record near St Matthews begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Debby in 2024, a tropical storm 45 miles away. The 1890s and the 2010s were the busiest decades, with 6 systems each. Of the 70 systems, 12 have come since 2000. St Matthews has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 58% of the 246 South Carolina cities on this site. The highest rating among the 116 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 7 times; the most recent, on April 5, 2022, came within 22 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on April 13, 2020, killed 2 people. Of the 116, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 59 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 22. The most recent tornado was on May 30, 2025. St Matthews has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 94% of the 246 South Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 56 times since 1974, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 246 South Carolina cities, 59% have more hail reports within 10 miles than St Matthews.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near St Matthews
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | DebbyAug 8 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 31 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2022 | ColinJul 2 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 16 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 2 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 30 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | GastonAug 29 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 20 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1988 | ChrisAug 28 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormSep 15 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | DottieAug 21 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 29 | 6 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | CindyJul 9 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 26 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 9 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 17 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 8 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 18 | 70 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1927 | Unnamed 1927 stormOct 3 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 17 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 14 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormOct 9 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormOct 23 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 18 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 15 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 23 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 27 | 54 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 18 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 36 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 28 | 72 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 22 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 27 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 24 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in St Matthews: 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 St Matthews
By decade
- 2020s23(3 EF3+)
- 2010s17
- 2000s19(2 EF3+)
- 1990s21(1 EF3+)
- 1980s10(1 EF3+)
- 1970s17
- 1960s7
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF3 | 8 mi | 35.68 mi | 2 / 7 |
| Apr 15, 2007 | EF3 | 19 mi | 19.04 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 5, 2022 | EF3 | 22 mi | 34.49 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF3 | 22 mi | 37.88 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 10, 2004 | F3 | 5 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 2, 1995 | F3 | 20 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 23, 1983 | F3 | 24 mi | 33 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jul 23, 1997 | F2 | 19 mi | 3.5 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Oct 22, 1990 | F2 | 7 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Apr 22, 1958 | F2 | 11 mi | 17.7 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF2 | 13 mi | 10.23 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF2 | 19 mi | 10.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 116, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in St Matthews
The Storm Prediction Center has 56 hail reports within 10 miles of St Matthews since 1974, made on 48 separate days. Of these, 26 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 19, 2008. The most recent report is from May 10, 2024. May has the most reports, 17.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in St Matthews
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Orangeburg 2, SC, 14 miles south of St Matthews at 185 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 60°F and 37°F. July is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 50.6 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (27.7 of 50.6 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 70 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (25); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 4.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 85 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 43 nights a year. That 50.6 inches is more than at 53 of the 78 South Carolina stations used on this site (68%). Gadsden, 12 miles north, has its own station (Wedgefield, SC): 46.1 inches a year, 4.5 less than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 37 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Feb | 63 | 40 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Mar | 70 | 46 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Apr | 78 | 52 | 3.3 | 6 |
| May | 85 | 61 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Jun | 90 | 68 | 5.5 | 8 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 5.8 | 8 |
| Aug | 92 | 71 | 5.3 | 8 |
| Sep | 87 | 66 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Oct | 79 | 54 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Nov | 69 | 44 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Dec | 62 | 38 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Year | 77 | 54 | 50.6 | 76 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Orangeburg 2, SC (185 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 St Matthews
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 128 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of St Matthews: 121 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 flash floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $10.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on April 22, 1997.
October 3, 2015: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of St Matthews — $10.0 million damage.
NWS: “Matthews and Elloree.”
April 22, 1997: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of St Matthews — $250,000 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
Calhoun County, which includes St Matthews, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 16 hurricanes, 3 floods, 3 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on January 10, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Calhoun County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.1 million a year, the 45th highest of 46 South Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.8 million (30%), 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 St Matthews
- Gadsden, SC12 mi
- Orangeburg, SC12 mi
- Elloree, SC16 mi
- Swansea, SC17 mi
- Eastover, SC17 mi
- Hopkins, SC17 mi
- North, SC18 mi
- Cordova, SC18 mi
- Pinewood, SC20 mi
- Gaston, SC20 mi
- Neeses, SC21 mi
- Wedgefield, SC22 mi
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