Williamsburg County, South Carolina Hurricane History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of Williamsburg County, South Carolina as of Thursday, 10 September 2026. Official forecasts at nhc.noaa.gov.

Since 1851, 60 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Williamsburg County, South Carolina — about one every 2.9 years. Of those, 14 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Chantal (2025), which passed 39 miles away on 6 July 2025.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.9

Avg. years between

Years since the last

Storm tracks within 50 miles

TS / TDCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5

Each line is one storm track, coloured by the strongest category it reached while within 50 miles. The dashed ring marks that 50-mile radius; hairlines are one-degree graticule. Source: NOAA NHC HURDAT2.

How strong they get

Cat 3 · 2Cat 2 · 3Cat 1 · 14TS / TD · 41

The 60 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 2 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentChantal (2025) — 39 mi away, 6 July 2025
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1893) — 105 kt (121 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordFlorence (2018) — 2.1 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1893) — 27.7 miles
Passes within 25 miles33 of 60
Peak monthSeptember — 19 storms (32% of all)
Most active year2004 — 3 storms
Most active decade1890s, 1970s and 2020s — 6 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi2
Record span1851–2025

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Williamsburg County, South Carolina, September is the most active month, with 19 of the 60 recorded storms (32%). The primary season runs July to September, accounting for 63% of all activity. The 1890s, 1970s and 2020s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 6 storms. 2 of the 60 storms were major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	4	6	9	10	19	9	3	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 13 storms in 1950–1987 against 19 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
4	1	2	3	6	4	4	2	0	2	2	3	6	3	2	5	5	6

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Chantal (2025)	6 Jul 2025	39.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Debby (2024)	8 Aug 2024	12.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Idalia (2023)	31 Aug 2023	28.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Ian (2022)	30 Sep 2022	27.9 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Colin (2022)	2 Jul 2022	24.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Bertha (2020)	27 May 2020	18.5 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Florence (2018)	15 Sep 2018	2.1 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Matthew (2016)	8 Oct 2016	37.6 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	18.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Andrea (2013)	7 Jun 2013	16.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Beryl (2012)	30 May 2012	24.9 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Gaston (2004)	29 Aug 2004	8.7 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Charley (2004)	14 Aug 2004	41.5 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Bonnie (2004)	13 Aug 2004	33.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Kyle (2002)	11 Oct 2002	38.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Allison (2001)	13 Jun 2001	22.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Gordon (1994)	21 Nov 1994	24.0 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1994)	20 Jul 1994	5.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Hugo (1989)	22 Sep 1989	34.7 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Kate (1985)	22 Nov 1985	11.6 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Unnamed Storm (1981)	3 Jul 1981	22.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1979)	16 Jun 1979	31.9 mi	TD	—
Clara (1977)	5 Sep 1977	44.5 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	15 Sep 1976	20.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Dottie (1976)	21 Aug 1976	18.5 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Agnes (1972)	21 Jun 1972	24.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Alma (1970)	26 May 1970	44.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Dora (1964)	13 Sep 1964	17.4 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1964)	23 Jul 1964	48.3 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Brenda (1960)	29 Jul 1960	43.5 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Cindy (1959)	9 Jul 1959	17.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1952)	28 Aug 1952	46.5 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	17 Sep 1945	26.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	8 Oct 1941	45.6 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	18 Sep 1928	18.1 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	17 Sep 1924	24.9 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	14 Jul 1916	18.1 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	16 May 1916	15.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1913)	8 Oct 1913	27.8 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1910)	20 Oct 1910	46.4 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	18 Sep 1906	10.0 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	4 Nov 1904	37.0 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	14 Sep 1904	23.4 mi	Cat 1	66 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	18 Sep 1901	16.4 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	31 Oct 1899	41.3 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	29 Sep 1896	35.6 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Oct 1894	19.2 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	27 Sep 1894	10.0 mi	Cat 1	66 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	13 Oct 1893	27.7 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	16 Jun 1893	23.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	1 Jul 1886	33.1 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	25 Aug 1885	28.6 mi	Cat 2	83 kt
Unnamed Storm (1884)	12 Sep 1884	43.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	12 Sep 1878	26.3 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	28 Sep 1874	20.0 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1867)	22 Jun 1867	13.5 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	1 Sep 1856	19.0 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	10 Oct 1852	14.6 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	28 Aug 1852	2.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	25 Aug 1851	30.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 12 systems passed within 50 miles after losing tropical characteristics. These are excluded from the counts above because they were no longer tropical cyclones at their closest approach — but several were highly damaging, so they are listed here. Showing the 9 most recent.

Storm	Status	Closest approach	Distance	Wind
Fay (2020)	Remnant low	8 Jul 2020	23.1 mi	20 kt
Bonnie (2016)	Remnant low	30 May 2016	17.0 mi	25 kt
Barry (2007)	Post-tropical	3 Jun 2007	39.1 mi	40 kt
Gordon (2000)	Post-tropical	19 Sep 2000	18.4 mi	24 kt
Earl (1998)	Post-tropical	4 Sep 1998	15.6 mi	45 kt
Josephine (1996)	Post-tropical	8 Oct 1996	13.8 mi	45 kt
Allison (1995)	Post-tropical	6 Jun 1995	8.8 mi	36 kt
Flossy (1956)	Post-tropical	26 Sep 1956	8.6 mi	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	5.5 mi	57 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1851–2025. Tracks are recorded every six hours and are interpolated to one-hour steps before distances are measured, so closest-approach figures are not distorted by the sampling interval. Distances are measured to the county's Census internal point, not to its nearest boundary, so a storm listed at 55 miles may still have crossed the coastline — see Methodology. Records before about 1900 are sparser and less precise than modern ones, and storms that stayed at sea were less likely to be recorded at all.

How Williamsburg County, South Carolina compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Williamsburg County, South Carolina ranks #117 — more exposed than 94.7% of them. Within South Carolina it ranks #13 of 46, against a state average of 44.7 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1893) passed 28 miles away on 13 October 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Hugo (1989) passed 35 miles away on 22 September 1989 as a hurricane, reaching 102 kt (117 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1899) passed 41 miles away on 31 October 1899 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1916) passed 18 miles away on 14 July 1916 as a hurricane, reaching 88 kt (101 mph) while within 50 miles.

52 of the 60 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.9 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 60 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 11 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while stretches of a decade or more have passed with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 13 years, between 1928 and 1941. It has been 0 years since the last one; 47 of the 47 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Williamsburg County, South Carolina?

14 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Williamsburg County, South Carolina at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 60.

When was the last hurricane in Williamsburg County, South Carolina?

Ian (2022), on 30 September 2022, passing 28 miles away — 4 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Chantal (2025) in 2025.

What was the strongest storm to affect Williamsburg County, South Carolina?

Unnamed Storm (1893), which reached 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 28 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Williamsburg County, South Carolina?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.9 years — 60 storms over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Williamsburg County, South Carolina borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Georgetown County, South Carolina has 70 on record.

Georgetown County, South Carolina70 storms within 50 mi Berkeley County, South Carolina69 storms within 50 mi Florence County, South Carolina62 storms within 50 mi Clarendon County, South Carolina62 storms within 50 mi Marion County, South Carolina61 storms within 50 mi