Charleston, South Carolina's History with Tropical Systems

(br) = Brush (ts) = Tropical Storm (bd) = Back Door, meaning coming from over land from opposite coast. Not all names are noted. Also, storms before 1950 were not named. Not every stat on every storm description is given. (since 1871)

Charleston most likely to be hit by a hurricane between September 14th and September 20th

Years within or near core

1871bdtsbr
1871-2bdts
1873bdts
1874bd
1878
1880tsbr
1881br
1882tsbr
1884bdtsbr
1885bd
1886bdts
1888br
1893bdts
1893m
1894
1894bdts
1896bd
1899br
1900xtropstbr
1901bdts
1904br
1906br
1907-2bdts
1908xtropst
1910ts
1911
1913
1916ts
1916
1924bdtsbr
1928bdts
1934tsbr
1941bdts
1945bdts
1947br
1952br
1959m
1959ts (HURDAT)
1960br
1963br
1964bdtsbr
1976tsbr
1981tsbr
1982subts
1985tsbd
1989m
1996br
1998xtropstbd
1999brm
1999
2002ts
2004-2
2006tsbdbr
2008tsbr
2013bdts
2016-2bdts
2016
2017bdts
2018tsbr
2018bdtsbr
2019br
2020-2tsbr
2021bdtsbr
2022
2022tsbr
2023bdts
2024ts
2024bdtsbr

73 times in 153 years (as of end of 2024)

Names from list above

Able
Cindy
Gracie
Donna
Ginny
Dora
Dennis
Dottie
Kate
Hugo
Bertha
Floyd
Irene
Earl
Kyle
Charley
Gaston
Alberto
Hanna
Andrea
Hermine
Julia
Matthew
Irma
Florence
Michael
Dorian
Bertha
Isaias
Elsa
Ian
Nicole
Idalia
Debby
Helene

Tropical Storm to Hurricane ratio

TS = 45, 61.64%
H = 28, 38.36%

only 6.67% of all tropical systems affecting Charleston are major hurricanes this includes brushes

Longest gap between storms

11 years 1965-1975

How often this area gets affected?

Brushed or hit every 2.10 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits. (hurricane force winds for at least a few hours)

Once every 9.56 years. (16 hits) State stats

Average years between major hurricane hits.

Once every 51 years. (3 hits)

Average MPH of hurricane hits. (based on sustained winds from advisories, not gusts)

93 mph

Statistically when this area should be affected next

Before the end of 2026

This is just a statistical average & does not mean the area will be affected by that year.

Last affected by

2024 September 27th Tropical Storm Helene brushes well west by 155miles while moving north with 70 mph winds.

This area's hurricane history

1874 September 28th a hurricane from the southwest hits with 90 mph winds while moving north-northeast causing enough surge to lift railroad cars
1878 September 12th, 85 mph from the south
1885 August 25th 105 mph winds from the southwest
1893 October 13th, 120 mph storm surge from a hurricane kills 1,500 people estimated 10 million in damage with many islands offshore under water. Winds measured at 96 mph with gusts to 120 mph, pressure 985 mb 29.08inches, with estimated storm tide 10.1FT Wind field map | Hit map
1894 September 27th 80 mph from the south-southwest
1896 September 29th 90 mph from the southwest
1911 August 28th, area gets major damage from a hurricane with 95 mph winds, pressure 29.30 inHg.
1913 October 8th from the east category 1 75 mph according to the NOAA's Hurricane Research Division.
1916 July 14th a category 1 hits 75 mph from the south-southeast. The damage south of Charleston to North Edisto River seems to have been confined almost wholly to crop injury. HRD report
1959 September 29th Hurricane Gracie hits with 130 mph winds (HURDAT) 40 miles to the south. Most homes lost roofs many windows blown in. Folly Beach unofficial reports of 140 mph gusts hitting at low tide. News video
1989 Hugo devastates area with 140 mph winds & 7 billion in damage 26 killed five of them children 8 years or younger, 935 mb September 21st. Radar animation (Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School) weather map while hitting Puerto Rico setting stage for hit on South Carolina | Newspaper headline | Satelite photo | Folly beach surge damage | Newspaper headline | More on Hurricane Hugo here | Video from show 911 | Hugo page | Surge animation | Average model error | Dr Ted Fujita wind map | HRD Hugo
1999 Hurricane Irene Passes 52 miles to southeast with 75 mph winds while moving northeast.
2004 August 14th Hurricane Charley hits just east with 80 mph winds. Trees down on route 45 near McClellanville. Folly Beach, power poles down. Isle of Palms trees down in various locations. Mount Pleasant, trees down on U.S. 17, A few awnings blown off homes.
2004 August 29th minimal Hurricane Gaston hits just east of here with 75 mph winds. No reports of hurricane sustained winds in Charleston.
2016, October 8th Hurricane Matthew hits with 80 mph winds while moving northeast along the coast, three deaths in South Carolina, wide spread coastal flooding. 6.20 feet at Charleston, South Carolina, the tide gauge at Charleston measured a peak water level of 3.52 feet above Mean Higher High Water (MHHW). Radar animation (Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School) | Best models | Matthew timeline | NHC final report | USGS surge info
2022 September 30th Hurricane Ian passes just east while moving north at closest approach by 45 miles with 85 mph winds area gets under hurricane force wind field. Radar animation (Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School) | NHC Report

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Stat sources:

Text Sources:

"Divine Wind" by Kerry Emanuel
"Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms" by John M. Williams and Iver W. Duedall
"Florida's Hurricane History" by Jay Barnes
"Hurricane Almanac" by Bryan Norcross
HurricaneCity.com calculations by Jim Williams
"Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States" by Rick Schwartz
"Hurricane Watch" by Dr. Bob Sheets and Jack Williams
"Inside the Hurricane" by Pete Davies
"Isaac's Storm" by Erik Larson
"Killer 'Cane" by Robert Mykle
"Lunatic Wind" by William Price Fox
Miami Herald newspaper (microfilm)
"Path of Destruction" by John McQuaid and Mark Schleifstein
Sun Sentinel newspaper (microfilm)
"The Major Hurricanes To Affect The Bahamas" by Wayne Neely
"The Ship and the Storm" by Jim Carrier
Plus many more......