NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Effingham, SC
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
85 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Effingham, South Carolina since 1851, 14 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Chantal in 2025. Since 1950, 73 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 14
- Tropical storms
- 71
- Tornadoes
- 73
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Effingham
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ChantalJul 6 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2024 | DebbyAug 8 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 31 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2022 | IanSep 30 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | ColinJul 2 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 70 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 15 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2016 | MatthewOct 8 | 59 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 2 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2015 | AnaMay 10 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 30 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | BarryJun 3 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | GastonAug 29 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 60 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2002 | KyleOct 11 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 45 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | DianaSep 13 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1981 | DennisAug 20 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormSep 15 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 70 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | CindyJul 9 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 26 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 67 mi | Category 4 (131 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormAug 28 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 17 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 18 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1927 | Unnamed 1927 stormOct 3 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 17 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 23 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 14 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormOct 10 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 20 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormOct 23 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 18 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 13 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 43 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 19 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 27 | 33 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 40 mi | Category 2 (108 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 69 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 25 | 50 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 11 | 73 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 28 | 38 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 28 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Effingham: 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 Effingham
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s9
- 2000s12
- 1990s16(1 EF3+)
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s2
- 1960s17
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 7, 1995 | F4 | 24 mi | 0.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 20, 1980 | F3 | 24 mi | 10.7 mi | 0 / 26 |
| Apr 25, 2010 | EF2 | 16 mi | 2.99 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 2010 | EF2 | 20 mi | 0.63 mi | 0 / 3 |
| May 14, 2006 | F2 | 9 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 1996 | F2 | 13 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 7, 1995 | F2 | 10 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| May 27, 1981 | F2 | 9 mi | 4.7 mi | 0 / 6 |
| May 20, 1980 | F2 | 14 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 6 |
| May 4, 1978 | F2 | 24 mi | 41.2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 12, 1967 | F2 | 4 mi | 11.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 12, 1967 | F2 | 4 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 73, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
How to read this page
A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Effingham while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.
Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.
Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.