Charleston South Carolina's history with tropical systems
Current weather

(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.
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 not in stats)
71 times in 152 yrs end of 2023





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=43, 60.56% H=28, 39.44%
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 Charleston gets affected?
brushed or hit every 2.14 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits.(hurricane force winds for at least a few hours)
(16h)once every 9.5 years State stats

Average years between major hurricane hits.(3)
once every 50.67 years

Average MPH of hurricane hits. (based on advisories sustained winds, not gusts)
93mph

Statistically when Charleston should be affected next
impacted in 2024

Last affected by
2024 Sept 27th tropical storm Helene brushes well west by 155miles while moving north with 70mph winds..

Charleston's hurricane history
1874 Sept 28th a hurricane from the SW hits with 90mph winds while moving NNE causing enough surge to lift railroad cars
1878 Sept 12th, 85mph from the south
1885 Aug 25th 105mph winds from the S.W
1893 oct 13th,120mph storm surge from a hurricane kills 1,500 people est 10 million in damage with many islands offshore under water. Winds measured at 96mph with gusts to 120mph, pressure 985mb 29.08inches,with estimated storm tide 10.1FT wind field map | Hit map
1894 Sept 27th 80mph from the SSW
1896 Sept 29th 90mph from the S.W
1911 aug 28th, area gets major damage from a hurricane with 95mph winds bar 29.30
,1913 Oct 8th from the east cat 1 75mph according to the hurricane research division
1916 July 14th a category 1 hits 75mph from the SSE. The damage south of Charleston to North Edisto River seems to have been confined almost wholly to crop injury. HRD report
1959 sept 29th Hurricane Gracie hits with 130mph winds(hurdat) 40 miles to the south. Most homes lost roofs many windows blown in. Folly bch unofficial reports of 140mph gusts hitting at low tide. News video
1989 Hugo devestates area with 140mph winds & 7 billion in damage 26 killed five of them children 8yrs or younger,935mb sept 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 | av model error | Dr Ted Fujita wind map | HRD Hugo
1999 Hurricane Irene Passes 52 miles to S.E with 75mph winds while moving N.E.
2004 August 14th Hurricane Charley hits just east with 80mph winds. Trees down on rt 45 near Mcclelanville. Folly bch, power poles down. Isle of Palms trees down in various locations.Mount pleasant, trees down on US 17 ,A few awnings blown off homes.
2004 August 29th minimal Hurricane Gaston hits just east of here with 75mph winds.No reports of hurricane sustained winds in Charleston.
2016 ,Oct 8th Hurricane Matthew hits with 80mph winds while moving N.E along the coast, three deaths in S.C. wide spread coastal flooding. 6.20 ft at Charleston, South Carolina, the tide gauge at Charleston measured a peak water level of 3.52 ft above MHHW. Radar (Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School) | Best models | Matthew timeline | NHC final report | USGS surge info
2022 Sept 30th Hurricane Ian passes just east while moving north at closest approach by 45 miles with 85mph 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: NHC Track maps/hurdat2/cyclone reports Hurricane research division
Text Sources:(alp)....Divine Wind Kerry Emanuel.....Florida Hurricanes & Tropical Storms John M. Williams & Iver W.Duedall.....Florida's Hurricane History Jay Barnes.....Hurricane Almanac Bryan Norcross.....hurricanecity.com (calculations) Jim Williams.....Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States Rick Schwartz.....Hurricane Watch Dr. Bob Sheets & Jack Williams.....Inside the Hurricane Pete Davies..... Isaac's Storm Erik Larson..... Killer Cane Robert Mykle.....Lunatic Wind William Price Fox....Miami Herald newspaper(microfilm).....Path of destruction John McQuaid & Mark Schleifstein.....Sun sentinel newspaper(microfilm).....The Major Hurricanes to affect the Bahamas Wayne Neely.....The Ship & the Storm Jim Carrier.....plus many more.............
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