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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Elgin, SC

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

52 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Elgin, South Carolina since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 100 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
3

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
49

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
100

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
3

8 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Elgin

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Elgin, South Carolina, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2024DebbyAug 836 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
2021ElsaJul 813 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
2019NestorOct 2020 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2018MichaelOct 1134 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 5
2018FlorenceSep 1639 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
2013AndreaJun 756 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2006AlbertoJun 14overheadTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1998EarlSep 459 miTropical storm (49 mph)Category 2
1995AllisonJun 659 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1989HugoSep 226 miCategory 1 (87 mph)Category 5
1985BobJul 2514 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 1
1979DavidSep 53 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 5
1976Unnamed 1976 stormSep 1553 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1970AlmaMay 2629 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1965Unnamed 1965 stormJun 165 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1959GracieSep 3014 miTropical storm (67 mph)Category 4
1959CindyJul 952 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1956FlossySep 2660 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1952AbleAug 315 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 2
1952Unnamed 1952 stormAug 2865 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
1947Unnamed 1947 stormSep 2453 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1946Unnamed 1946 stormOct 930 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 1745 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormOct 2034 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 4
1935Unnamed 1935 stormSep 515 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 5
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 216 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1927Unnamed 1927 stormOct 34 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3065 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormJul 142 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 3
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 338 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1913Unnamed 1913 stormOct 932 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1912Unnamed 1912 stormJun 1425 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1906Unnamed 1906 stormSep 1812 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1613 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1901Unnamed 1901 stormSep 1869 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1896Unnamed 1896 stormSep 2938 miCategory 1 (90 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 47 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2810 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 3
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2435 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 2
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1021 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJul 139 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 2
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJun 2250 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 2
1885Unnamed 1885 stormOct 128 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 1162 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1878Unnamed 1878 stormSep 1242 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 415 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 3
1859Unnamed 1859 stormSep 1759 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1856Unnamed 1856 stormSep 146 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 3
1854Unnamed 1854 stormSep 99 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 3
1852Unnamed 1852 stormOct 1055 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1852Unnamed 1852 stormAug 2749 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1851Unnamed 1851 stormAug 2432 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 3

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Elgin: 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 Elgin

By decade

  • 2020s11
  • 2010s13
  • 2000s25(1 EF3+)
  • 1990s21
  • 1980s12(2 EF3+)
  • 1970s7
  • 1960s10
  • 1950s1
Strongest tornadoes near Elgin, South Carolina
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Mar 28, 1984F418 mi21 mi5 / 49
Sep 7, 2004F315 mi7 mi0 / 1
Mar 28, 1984F320 mi19 mi0 / 10
Sep 27, 2004F214 mi2 mi1 / 13
Jul 23, 1997F223 mi3.5 mi1 / 6
May 15, 1976F211 mi3.8 mi1 / 3
May 5, 2020EF225 mi13.98 mi0 / 0
Jan 11, 2020EF224 mi0.55 mi0 / 0
Mar 15, 2008EF2in town6.89 mi0 / 2
Sep 7, 2004F221 mi2.5 mi0 / 3
Jul 23, 1997F214 mi6 mi0 / 1
Nov 2, 1995F225 mi1 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 100, 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 Elgin 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.

Other cities in South Carolina