NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Union, 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
32 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Union, South Carolina since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 69 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 30
- Tornadoes
- 69
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Union
The strongest storm to pass near Union was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 1 hurricane with 82 mph winds when its centre passed 45 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Hugo in 1989, whose centre came within 31 miles. The record near Union begins with an unnamed storm in 1854; the most recent system was Debby in 2024, a tropical storm 74 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 5 systems. Of the 32 systems, 4 have come since 2000. Of the 246 South Carolina cities on this site, 69% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Union. The highest rating among the 69 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on August 16, 1994, passed within a mile of the city centre. The deadliest, an F3 on May 10, 1952, killed 2 people. Of the 69, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 32 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 15. The most recent tornado was on December 29, 2024. Of the 246 South Carolina cities, 76% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Union. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 73 times since 1963, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Union has more hail reports within 10 miles than 54% of the 246 South Carolina cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Union
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | DebbyAug 8 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 31 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 9 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1927 | Unnamed 1927 stormOct 3 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 18 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 45 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Union: 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 Union
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s10
- 2000s12
- 1990s20(1 EF3+)
- 1980s8
- 1970s3
- 1960s3
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 1952 | F3 | 15 mi | 22.7 mi | 2 / 4 |
| Aug 16, 1994 | F3 | in town | 30 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 1994 | F2 | 19 mi | 3 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F2 | 20 mi | 23 mi | 1 / 38 |
| Oct 8, 2017 | EF2 | 15 mi | 22.28 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 16, 1994 | F2 | 8 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 15, 1993 | F2 | 2 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F2 | 19 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 43 |
| May 23, 1980 | F2 | 16 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 12, 1975 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.7 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 18, 1969 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 30, 1960 | F2 | 22 mi | 9.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 69, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Union
The Storm Prediction Center has 73 hail reports within 10 miles of Union since 1963, made on 58 separate days. Of these, 43 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on May 23, 2014. The most recent report is from May 2, 2025. May has the most reports, 25.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Union
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Santuck, SC, 7 miles southeast of Union at 520 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 55°F and 31°F. August is the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 44.6 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 50% of the year's precipitation (22.2 of 44.6 inches). September has brought the most of the 32 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (11); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 64 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 56 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.9 inches a year, most of it in January. That 44.6 inches is more than at 10 of the 78 South Carolina stations used on this site (13%). Buffalo, 6 miles west, has its own station (Union 8 S, SC): 45.4 inches a year, 0.8 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 31 | 3.9 | 7 | 1.4 |
| Feb | 59 | 34 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.8 |
| Mar | 67 | 40 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Apr | 76 | 48 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 83 | 57 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 89 | 64 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 68 | 3.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 61 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 50 | 3.3 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 39 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 56 | 34 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Year | 74 | 49 | 44.6 | 72 | 2.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Santuck, SC (520 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 Union
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 147 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Union: 141 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 lightning strikes, 2 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $267,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on July 24, 2022.
September 1, 2013: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Union — 1 killed.
June 16, 1998: thunderstorm wind in Union — 1 injured, $14,000 damage.
June 21, 2011: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Union — 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
Union County, which includes Union, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 hurricanes, 3 ice storms, 3 tropical storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Debby, on September 29, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Union County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.5 million a year, the 34th highest of 46 South Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.5 million (36%), 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 Union
- Buffalo, SC6 mi
- Jonesville, SC9 mi
- Whitmire, SC15 mi
- Pauline, SC15 mi
- Pacolet, SC15 mi
- Sharon, SC16 mi
- Enoree, SC18 mi
- Roebuck, SC22 mi
- Chester, SC22 mi
- Clinton, SC23 mi
- Mc Connells, SC24 mi
- Gaffney, SC25 mi
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