Barnwell County, South Carolina

What hazards hit Barnwell County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 201 since 1956. 50% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1956 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among South Carolina's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.

How many tornadoes has Barnwell County had?

NOAA records 25 tornadoes in Barnwell County from 1952 to 2025, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 20 injuries recorded in the county. That is 23rd of 46 South Carolina counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.

Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 25 tornadoes whose track touched Barnwell County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 25, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 3 people, 0 of them in Barnwell County.

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in South Carolina.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.

When was the last damaging storm in Barnwell County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the September 27, 2024 tropical storm ($5.6 million in damage in 2025 dollars).

Widespread trees and power lines down. Many roads closed, some for an extended period of time. Large sections of the county without power. Falling trees caused damage to structures across the county. At least 21 homes sustained some level of damage including 1 destroyed and 17 with major damage. South Carolina Forestry estimated 1.5 million dollars in timber loss. Maximum winds measured at Barnwell Regional Airport (KBNL) were 28 knots sustained (32 mph) with a max gust of 46 knots (53 mph). A 200 foot tower in Savannah River Site measured a maximum wind gust of 93.7 mph. NWS analysis estimated maximum gusts were between 80-90 mph. Areas of flooding with maximum 2 day rainfall measured 6.09 inches at the Savannah River Site RAWS.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1209663)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.

The deadliest and costliest records

A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.

Is it getting more frequent?

Records per decade for Barnwell County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

50% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1956 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Barnwell County

FEMA's register lists 27 declarations that include Barnwell County: 12 major disasters, 15 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (13) and severe storm (4).

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.

How many floods has Barnwell County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 9 flood or flash flood records for Barnwell County from 2000 to 2025, on 9 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Barnwell County ranks 2523rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $41,000 on 6 claims filed in Barnwell County; the most in one year was 1 in 1979. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.

FEMA's modeled risk for Barnwell County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Barnwell County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $8.4 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Barnwell County

1. Orangeburg County 989
2. Aiken County 886
3. Burke County, GA 384
4. Barnwell County 337
5. Allendale County 315
6. Bamberg County 299

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

Next

• Tornadoes in South CarolinaEvery South Carolina tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
• Severe thunderstorm wind in South CarolinaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
• The South Carolina recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
• FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Barnwell CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
• Download Barnwell County's FEMA declarations (CSV)27 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis