South Carolina is a low-lying coastal state frequently exposed to tropical weather systems forming over the Atlantic Ocean. Its vulnerable coastline and broad continental shelf make it a frequent target for storms that strengthen as they approach land. Understanding the state’s relationship with these powerful events requires defining what constitutes a hurricane landfall and examining the most recent and devastating storms. The regular threat of high winds, storm surge, and inland flooding makes preparedness a constant consideration for coastal communities.
Identifying the Last Hurricane to Make Landfall
The last tropical cyclone to make official landfall on the South Carolina coast while maintaining hurricane strength was Hurricane Ian in 2022. Ian made landfall on September 30, 2022, near Georgetown, as a Category 1 hurricane. Its maximum sustained winds at landfall were approximately 85 miles per hour, generating a significant storm surge and extensive rainfall across the state.
This event is distinct from other recent, impactful storms that tracked near the state but did not meet the technical criteria for a hurricane landfall. For example, Hurricane Florence in 2018 caused catastrophic freshwater flooding across northeastern South Carolina, but its official landfall occurred in North Carolina. By the time Florence moved into South Carolina, it had been downgraded to a tropical storm, meaning its sustained wind speeds were below the 74 mph threshold required for hurricane status.
Clarifying Hurricane Classifications
The intensity of tropical cyclones is measured using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which is based solely on a storm’s maximum sustained wind speed. A weather disturbance begins as a tropical depression, characterized by sustained winds of less than 39 miles per hour.
Once a storm intensifies and its sustained winds reach between 39 and 73 miles per hour, it is classified as a tropical storm and is assigned a name. Only when the sustained wind speed reaches a minimum of 74 miles per hour does the storm earn the classification of a hurricane. Category 1, the lowest hurricane classification, covers wind speeds from 74 to 95 mph. The scale continues upward to Category 5, which includes all storms with winds of 157 mph or higher. The classification at the moment of landfall determines a storm’s historical status.
South Carolina’s Defining Historical Storms
South Carolina’s history is defined by several storms whose impact dramatically reshaped the coast and inland areas. Hurricane Hugo in 1989 is the most costly storm in state history, making landfall as a high-end Category 4 near Sullivan’s Island. The storm generated an immense storm tide of about 20 feet in Bulls Bay. Hugo maintained hurricane-force winds far inland, causing widespread damage to forests and infrastructure across 36 counties.
Decades earlier, Hurricane Hazel in 1954 made landfall as a Category 4 near the North Carolina border. Hazel impacted the northern coast with devastating force, destroying nearly all oceanfront structures in communities like Pawleys Island and causing severe storm surge damage along the Grand Strand.
The state was hit by another major storm when Hurricane Gracie struck St. Helena Island as a Category 4 in 1959. Gracie brought 130 mph winds and significant damage between Beaufort and Charleston.