A tropical storm warning and flood watch are in effect for the Upstate as Hurricane Helene grows in the Gulf of Mexico. While the storm’s landfall is expected to primarily impact the Florida coast as one of the worst in memory, South Carolina’s northwestern counties could experience heavy rainfall and intense winds as the storm traverses the Southeast sometime Thursday night into Friday.
Hurricanes lose strength once they hit land , which provides some shielding for the Upstate because of its inland location. However, several storms have maintained enough momentum to cause damage in the northwest corner of the state. Here are some of the Upstate’s most notable storms.
Tropical Storm Fred
Fred was an August 2021 storm that formed in the Caribbean Sea near Puerto Rico and made landfall in the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Florida Panhandle before traveling north and dissipating in Massachusetts. While it was still a tropical storm, Fred caused nine tornados in South Carolina. Seneca received the highest amount of rainfall, totaling 7.50 inches. West Union received 7.20 inches, part of Jocassee saw 6.29 inches, and Caesars Head received 5.99 inches. The Upstate saw flash flooding, tornado warnings, and thunderstorms .
Tropical Storm Beryl
Beryl made landfall near Panama City, Fla., in August 1994 and traveled north through the Appalachian Mountains. In its wake , Beryl caused 23 tornados in Western and Central South Carolina, eight of which measured F2 and F3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Greenville and Spartanburg counties saw flooding, along with extensive flooding in the Saluda River. The Piedmont area received 4-5 inches of rain, while areas near the mountains received 12 inches, according to the state’s Department of Natural Resources.
According to previous reporting from the Greenville News , tornados caused by Beryl resulted in more than $50 million in damage.
Hurricane Frances
Ten years after Beryl, Hurricane Frances formed near the Lesser Antilles islands and made landfall twice, both times in Florida. Frances was a Category 4 hurricane and its most robust, but was a tropical storm by the second landfall. While Frances formed in August, South Carolina saw impacts in early September. Frances spawned 46 tornados in South Carolina, and the Upstate endured intense rainfall once again. Caesars Head received 12.17 inches – about half of the total rainfall in September for the area, and Travelers Rest saw 9.62 inches in 24 hours, according to SCDNR. Frances accrued $1.7 million in damages.
More: McMaster declares state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Helene
Tropical Storm Jerry
Jerry formed in late August 1995 and made landfall in Hollywood, Fla. Flooding from the storm caused three deaths in South Carolina, according to a 1996 report from the National Hurricane Center . Flooding occurred in the Saluda and Broad rivers. Parts of the Upstate received 8-10 inches of rain in an eight-hour period, according to SCDNR , and 18.51 inches fell on Antreville in Abbeville County. The rainfall caused widespread damage to dams and bridges, which increased flooding damage. The state Department of Transportation reportedly estimated between $4-5 million worth of damage in South Carolina.
Hurricane Cindy
In July 2005, Hurricane Cindy made landfall near Grand Isle, La. Though it had been downgraded to a tropical storm before reaching the Upstate, Cindy caused intense damage in Greenville . SCDNR reported that 100 residents needed to be rescued from an apartment complex in Greer due to flooding from nearby Maple Creek, and 15 residents were evacuated from a mobile home park in Mauldin. Brushy Creek and downtown Greenville also saw flooding damage. More than 25 roads were closed and six were damaged, incurring costs of $300,000. Across South Carolina, damage costs totaled nearly $2 million.
Hurricane Ivan
In September 2004, Hurricane Ivan made landfall near Gulf Shores, Ala. All told, the storm caused about $27 billion in damage across the United States. Ivan caused several tornados in South Carolina and damage costs totaled $1.33 million. In Oconee County, the Tugaloo River flooded, requiring some families to be rescued via helicopter , SCDNR reported . Oconee County also saw 7.66 inches of rainfall in Long Creek , followed by 4.51 inches in Table Rock State Park and 4.11 inches in Chau Ram State Park.
Unnamed September 1928 hurricane
A hurricane that made landfall in mid-September 1928 does not have an official name, but is colloquially referred to as the Okeechobee or San Felipe II Hurricane. The storm first hit the islands of Guadeloupe before killing 300 people in Puerto Rico. To this day, the storm remains one of the United States’ deadliest tropical cyclones, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . The storm made a second mainland landfall near Beaufort and traveled into Pennsylvania as a tropical storm. Five people died in South Carolina and damages totaled $4-6 million, according to SCDNR records.
By the storm’s end, the total death toll was at least 2,500, NOAA reported.
For more information on Hurricane Helene, check out The Greenville News live coverage .
Sarah Swetlik covers business, growth and development for The Greenville News. Previously, she covered environmental issues and climate change. You can reach her at sswetlik@gannett.com or via X at @sarahgswetlik .
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: As Hurricane Helene nears landfall, here are 7 tropical cyclones that slammed the Upstate
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