Hurricanes in South Carolina?

Since I sell real estate in Columbia, SC, I get asked this question from time to time.  Yes, South Carolina does have hurricanes - but not too often.  And, as infrequently as it does happen along the coast of South Carolina, any hurricane making landfall in this state would be downgraded to a tropical storm before a possible path towards Columbia (more than 100 miles inland).

Hurricane Hugo Before South Carolina Landfall

The last major hurricane to make landfall in South Carolina was Hugo, a category 4 storm in 1989.  Just prior to hitting near Charleston, South Carolina on September 22, 1989, it reached winds of 140 mph, and rapidly weakened as it turned to the northeast. 

Acutally, South Carolina is relatively low on Southern coastal states for hurricane impact probability.  I analyzed a recent study of hurricane impacts for coastal states from Texas around to North Carolina.  For my analysis, I assigned one point for each hurricane impact and two points for each major hurricane impact.   Scores were as follows:
Florida: 181
Texas: 99
Louisiana: 91
North Carolina: 75
South Carolina: 41
Alabama: 34
Mississippi: 31
Georgia: 22

South Carolina is a GREAT place to live.  Ready to move to Greater Columbia, SC?  Call Mel Coker at (803) 388-8011.


Ratings of Hurricanes by Hurricane Severity Index


Links of interest:
StormPulse - a great place to track hurricanes 
South Carolina 2011 Hurricane Guide
Hurricane Severity Index - a relatively new rating system for hurricanes (Hugo tied for 2nd all-time)
National Weather Service Hurricane Center
MyFoxHurricane
IbisEye Hurricane Tracker
Hurricane Destruction YouTube Video