NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Sunset, 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
10 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Sunset, South Carolina since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 71 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 71
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Sunset
None of the 10 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Sunset; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 41 miles away. The record near Sunset begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 36 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 3 systems. Of the 10 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 246 South Carolina cities on this site, 99% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Sunset. The highest rating among the 71 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 13, 2020, came within 15 miles. Of the 71, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 43 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on May 3, 2025. Of the 246 South Carolina cities, 70% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Sunset. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 77 times since 1974, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Sunset has more hail reports within 10 miles than 60% of the 246 South Carolina cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Sunset
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 49 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 Sunset: 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 Sunset
By decade
- 2020s17(1 EF3+)
- 2010s11
- 2000s15
- 1990s13(1 EF3+)
- 1980s6
- 1970s8
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF3 | 15 mi | 16.71 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 12 mi | 28 mi | 0 / 37 |
| Mar 23, 2022 | EF2 | 6 mi | 6.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF2 | 10 mi | 7.97 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Oct 8, 2017 | EF2 | 8 mi | 8.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 26, 2008 | EF2 | 20 mi | 5.48 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 7, 1998 | F2 | 17 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Sep 16, 1996 | F2 | 23 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 26, 1994 | F2 | 5 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 23 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1989 | F2 | 21 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 10, 1975 | F2 | 14 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 71, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Sunset
The Storm Prediction Center has 77 hail reports within 10 miles of Sunset since 1974, made on 60 separate days. Of these, 45 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 July 10, 2025. June has the most reports, 23.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Sunset
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Pickens, SC, 9 miles southeast of Sunset 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 10 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); 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%). Salem, 8 miles southwest, has its own station (Jocassee 8 WNW, SC): 87.5 inches a year, 30.8 more than here, and a July average high of 80°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 Sunset
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 119 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Sunset: 107 thunderstorm wind reports, 7 flash floods, 3 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 2 people and injured 3, 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, 2 of 7. Of the 241 South Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 88 have had fewer than Sunset.
July 18, 2019: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Sunset — 2 killed, 2 injured, $50,000 damage.
NWS: “County comms reported strong thunderstorm winds caused a home under construction to collapse on Waterlake Dr, killing two workers, and injuring two others. Several trees and power lines were also blown down in the vicinity.”
July 4, 1997: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Sunset — 1 injured.
February 6, 2020: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Sunset — $1.5 million 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
Pickens County, which includes Sunset, 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.
Cities near Sunset
- Salem, SC8 mi
- Pickens, SC8 mi
- Six Mile, SC8 mi
- Lake Toxaway, NC14 mi
- Liberty, SC15 mi
- Central, SC16 mi
- West Union, SC16 mi
- Clemson, SC16 mi
- Brevard, NC17 mi
- Walhalla, SC18 mi
- Easley, SC18 mi
- Seneca, SC19 mi
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