South Carolina Hurricane Tracker
South Carolina's coast is 187 miles of barrier islands, sea islands, and tidal marsh with one bridge off most of it, and Charleston already floods on sunny-day high tides. Hurricane Hugo in 1989 is the state's benchmark: a Category 4 at Sullivan's Island with a 20-foot surge at Bulls Bay that wiped out McClellanville, and hurricane-force winds that were still knocking down trees in Charlotte, 200 miles inland. Since then the coast has been evacuated repeatedly for storms that stayed offshore or came in weak: Matthew in 2016, Irma in 2017, which pushed near-record tidal flooding into the Charleston Battery as an offshore tropical storm, Dorian in 2019, and Ian in 2022, which made its second US landfall at Georgetown as a Category 1 and tore the piers off Pawleys Island.
The Pee Dee region has flooded twice from hurricanes that hit elsewhere, with Nichols under water after both Matthew and Florence in 2018. Then Hurricane Helene in September 2024 rewrote the inland risk: it arrived in the Upstate as a tropical storm with hurricane-force gusts, killed 49 people in South Carolina, the most since Hugo, and knocked out power to 1.3 million, with Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, and Aiken counties hit hardest by falling trees. Every part of the state now has a hurricane plan to make.
Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall at Litchfield Beach on July 6, 2025 with 50 mph winds, the only US landfall of the 2025 season.
Radar
Composite radar, South Carolina.
Wind
ECMWF wind forecast, South Carolina.
Know Your Evacuation Zone
South Carolina uses lettered evacuation zones within each of its three coastal regions: Northern, Horry and Georgetown; Central, Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester; and Southern, Colleton, Beaufort, and Jasper. The governor orders evacuations by zone and region. When Charleston is evacuated, SCDOT reverses I-26 so all lanes run toward Columbia; US-501 is reversed out of Myrtle Beach and US-278 off Hilton Head. Once lane reversal starts, exits are limited and you cannot turn back.
County Emergency Management
The coastal counties plus the inland counties that take the first wind and rain from storms crossing the state. Your county emergency management office posts local evacuation orders, shelter openings, and re-entry information.
Metro pages
Charleston
Local radar, evacuation routes, and county links.
Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand
Local radar, evacuation routes, and county links.
Hilton Head and Beaufort
Coming soon
Greenville and the Upstate
Coming soon
South Carolina-specific prep
On the coast, standard homeowners policies in some areas exclude wind and hail. Wind coverage is available through the South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association, the state insurer of last resort for coastal-zone homes that private insurers will not write. Check the named-storm deductible on any coastal policy, which is often a percentage of the dwelling value rather than a flat dollar amount, and confirm your wind coverage is bound before a storm enters the Atlantic basin.
Flood damage from storm surge or heavy rain is not covered by standard homeowners or wind policies. You need a separate National Flood Insurance Program policy, which has a 30-day waiting period. Charleston's chronic tidal flooding means a modest storm at high tide can flood streets and homes that a bigger storm at low tide would not, so do not assume you are safe because you are not on the beach.
South Carolina has no hurricane supplies sales tax holiday. Its August tax-free weekend is for school supplies, not storm gear. Buy your batteries, water, fuel containers, and tarps early, before the shelves empty in late May.
SCEMD lists pet-friendly shelters when they open, generally inland in Columbia, Florence, and the Midlands. A coastal evacuation is a 100-plus mile drive with a pet, so plan your route and your destination before an order is issued, and keep vaccination records with you for any shelter that accepts animals.
After a coastal evacuation, Charleston, Beaufort, and Horry counties issue re-entry passes to residents and businesses. You need a pass to cross checkpoints and return to your property before the general public. Get yours before the season starts through your county emergency management office.
The single most useful prep for inland South Carolina is removing dead or leaning trees near the house before June. Helene's 49 deaths in the state were overwhelmingly from trees falling on homes and vehicles, not water or wind itself. Walk your property, hire an arborist for anything large within falling distance of the house, and know which interior room has no tree exposure before a storm arrives. Expect a week or more without power in the Upstate after a major storm, as Helene demonstrated, and run any generator at least 20 feet from any opening with a battery-operated carbon monoxide alarm inside.
Frequently asked questions
Does South Carolina have hurricane evacuation zones?
Yes. South Carolina uses lettered evacuation zones within each of its three coastal regions: Northern, Horry and Georgetown; Central, Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester; and Southern, Colleton, Beaufort, and Jasper. The governor orders evacuations by zone and region. Look yours up at scemd.org.
When does I-26 lane reversal start?
The governor orders it with an evacuation of the Charleston region, usually 24 to 36 hours before tropical storm winds arrive. Once lane reversal starts, all lanes of I-26 run toward Columbia, exits are limited, and you cannot turn back. US-501 is reversed out of Myrtle Beach and US-278 off Hilton Head at the same time.
When was the last hurricane to hit South Carolina?
Hurricane Ian made its second US landfall at Georgetown as a Category 1 in September 2022, tearing the piers off Pawleys Island. Hurricane Helene hit the Upstate as a tropical storm with hurricane-force gusts in September 2024, killing 49 people in the state, the most since Hugo.
How high can storm surge get in Charleston?
Hurricane Hugo in 1989 produced roughly 12 feet in Charleston Harbor and about 20 feet at Bulls Bay, which wiped out McClellanville. A similar storm today would flood most of the Charleston peninsula. Charleston already floods on sunny-day high tides, so a modest storm at high tide can flood streets that a bigger storm at low tide would not.
Does the Upstate need a hurricane plan?
Yes. Helene killed more people in the Upstate than any storm on the coast since Hugo, almost all from falling trees and post-storm accidents. Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, and Aiken counties were hit hardest, with power out for a week or more. Every part of South Carolina now has a hurricane plan to make.
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Neighboring states
South Carolina borders Georgia and North Carolina. Browse all states →