NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Starr, 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
16 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Starr, South Carolina since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 95 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 16
- Tornadoes
- 95
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
8 deaths in all
What the records show for Starr
None of the 16 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Starr; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 23 miles away. The record near Starr begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 27 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 4 systems. Of the 16 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 246 South Carolina cities on this site, 93% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Starr. The strongest of the 95 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on March 31, 1973; its path came within 22 miles, and it killed 7 people. Of the 95, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 51 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 23. The most recent tornado was on May 12, 2025. Starr has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 76% of the 246 South Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 75 times since 1957, with stones up to 4.25 inches. Starr has more hail reports within 10 miles than 56% of the 246 South Carolina cities.
Compare Starr's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Starr
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 18 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 3 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 16 | 11 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 Starr: 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 Starr
By decade
- 2020s9(1 EF3+)
- 2010s10
- 2000s32
- 1990s21
- 1980s7
- 1970s9(2 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 1973 | F4 | 22 mi | 22.6 mi | 7 / 30 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF3 | 25 mi | 16.71 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 8, 1974 | F3 | 4 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 3, 2021 | EF2 | 14 mi | 29.35 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF2 | 19 mi | 6.71 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF2 | 23 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 26, 2008 | EF2 | 15 mi | 5.48 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 2008 | EF2 | 25 mi | 8.04 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2003 | F2 | 22 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Sep 16, 1996 | F2 | 14 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 25 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 1980 | F2 | 2 mi | 33.4 mi | 0 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 95, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Starr
The Storm Prediction Center has 75 hail reports within 10 miles of Starr since 1957, made on 63 separate days. Of these, 40 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.25 inches, fell on March 15, 2008. The most recent report is from November 8, 2025. June has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Starr
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Anderson Co Airport, SC, 8 miles north of Starr at 760 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 33°F. December is the wettest at 4.4 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 46.3 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 48% of the year's precipitation (22.3 of 46.3 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 16 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 3.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 55 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 53 nights a year. That 46.3 inches is more than at 25 of the 78 South Carolina stations used on this site (32%). Anderson, 10 miles north, has its own station (Anderson, SC): 50.4 inches a year, 4.1 more than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 33 | 4.1 | 7 |
| Feb | 57 | 36 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Mar | 65 | 42 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 3.6 | 6 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Sep | 83 | 63 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Oct | 73 | 51 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Nov | 63 | 41 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Dec | 55 | 36 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Year | 72 | 51 | 46.3 | 74 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Anderson Co Airport, SC (760 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 Starr
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 152 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Starr: 142 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 flash floods, 2 floods, 2 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 8, and the NWS estimated $772,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on August 24, 2000. Of the 241 South Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 55 have had fewer than Starr.
July 15, 2017: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Starr — 1 killed.
August 12, 2011: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Starr — 7 injured.
April 4, 2011: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Starr — 1 injured.
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
Anderson County, which includes Starr, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 29, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Anderson County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail and inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $67.3 million a year, the 12th highest of 46 South Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $33.0 million (49%), 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.