Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Sumter, SC

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Sumter, SC, 2 miles northeast of Sumter at 177 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 55°F and 33°F. July is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 49.0 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (27.0 of 49.0 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 75 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (27); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 4.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 58 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 56 nights a year. That 49.0 inches is more than at 45 of the 78 South Carolina stations used on this site (58%). Shaw Afb, 6 miles northwest, has its own station (Wedgefield, SC): 46.1 inches a year, 2.9 less than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 90°F.

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 273 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Sumter: 229 thunderstorm wind reports, 28 flash floods, 9 heavy rain events, 5 lightning strikes and 2 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 82 mph, on April 19, 2013. September has had the most flash floods, 12 of 28. Of the 241 South Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 215 have had fewer than Sumter.

Flood insurance policyholders in Sumter's 3 ZIP codes have filed 284 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $7.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from October severe storms in 2015: 173 claims (61% of all) and $6.2 million, then Hurricane Matthew in 2016 with 10. 70% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 110 South Carolina cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 87 have fewer than Sumter.