Darlington County, South Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 45031 · population 62,874 · 561 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 595 records for Darlington County, South Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 319 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (348 records). The deadliest single record is the May 8, 2014 heat, filed for the forecast zone Darlington, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 26 declarations naming the county since 1989, 24 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on January 23, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 595on 319 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 436 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $37Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 28strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 26latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Darlington County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 348 since 1956. 54% 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.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 348 | 187 | 1956-2025 | 0 | 12 | $3.7M | 21 of 46 |
| Hail | 116 | 63 | 1960-2024 | 0 | 0 | $304K | 33 of 46 |
| Floods | 29 | 17 | 2000-2020 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 22 of 46 |
| Tornadoes | 28 | 20 | 1961-2024 | 1 | 24 | $25M | 22 of 46 |
| Winter storms | 27 | 27 | 2000-2026 | 2 | 0 | $6.1M | 17 of 46 |
| High wind and dust storms | 14 | 8 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $43K | 29 of 46 |
| Heavy rain | 10 | 10 | 2004-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 46 |
| Drought | 8 | 8 | 1999-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 46 |
| Heat | 5 | 5 | 2011-2015 | 1 | 0 | – | 8 of 46 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 5 | 2004-2022 | 0 | 0 | $47K | 20 of 46 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 1997-1998 | 0 | 0 | $78K | 31 of 46 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2004-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 27 of 46 |
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 Darlington County had?
NOAA records 28 tornadoes in Darlington County from 1961 to 2024, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 24 injuries recorded in the county. That is 22nd 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 28 tornadoes whose track touched Darlington County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 28, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961-04-12 16:10, as SPC files it | Hartsville | F1 | 0.5 mi | 1 |
| 1969-04-18 14:00, as SPC files it | BennettsvilleCrossed NC, SC | F3 | 77.3 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in South Carolina.
Every tornado record filed for Darlington County (28)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-27 | Palmetto, Darlington County | EF0 6.68 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-06-16 | Syracuse, Darlington County | EF0 3.7 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-04 | Hartsville, Darlington County | EF1 0.86 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 1 | $72K |
| 2017-05-04 | Oats, Darlington County | EF1 2.07 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $96K |
| 2015-04-19 | Enoch Xrds, Darlington County | EF0 0.46 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $40K |
| 2010-04-25 | Mechanicsville, Darlington County | EF1 0.06 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $34K |
| 2010-04-25 | Darlington Moores Ar, Darlington County | EF2 2.99 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $8.5M |
| 2010-04-25 | Oats, Darlington County | EF2 0.63 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 3 | $1.0M |
| 2006-05-14 | Darlington County | F1 0.6 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 1 | $586K |
| 2004-09-07 | Darlington County | F0 0.6 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-09-07 | Darlington County | F1 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2004-09-07 | Society Hill, Darlington County | F0 0.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $16K |
| 2004-09-07 | Darlington County | F0 1.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $117K |
| 1999-09-29 | Clyde, Darlington County | F1 15 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 6 | $425K |
| 1999-05-06 | Darlington Co Airport, Darlington County | F1 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $142K |
| 1995-11-07 | Byrdtown, Darlington County | F1 3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $387K |
| 1995-07-06 | Hartsville, Darlington County | F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 1995-07-06 | Hartsville, Darlington County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-03-01 | Darlington County | F0 0.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1982-11-03 | Darlington County | F1 5 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1980-05-20 | Darlington County | F2 9 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 6 | $2.5M step |
| 1976-05-15 | Darlington County | F1 6.9 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1969-10-02 | Darlington County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1969-04-18 | Darlington County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1969-04-18 | Darlington County | F3 39.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1968-05-17 | Darlington County | F2 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 1 | $3K step |
| 1964-08-29 | Darlington County | F2 0.1 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 1 | $3K step |
| 1961-04-12 | Darlington County | F1 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 1 | 0 | $25K step |
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, 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 Darlington County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 29, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-01 | Winter StormDarlington County · forecast zone Darlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Winter StormDarlington County · forecast zone Darlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindDarlington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindBirdstown Xrds, Darlington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindMont Clare, Darlington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-29 | Thunderstorm WindPalmetto, Darlington County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2025-02-16 | Thunderstorm WindDarlington Brnhms Ar, Darlington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-01-21 | Winter WeatherDarlington County · forecast zone Darlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-09-27 | TornadoPalmetto, Darlington County | EF0 6.68 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-06-16 | TornadoSyracuse, Darlington County | EF0 3.7 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-05-04 | Thunderstorm WindClyde, Darlington County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $11K |
| 2020-05-05 | HailClyde, Darlington County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1K |
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
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-05-08 | HeatDarlington County · forecast zone Darlington A man accidently left his sleeping 13 month old daughter in the back seat of his car, parked on 5th street near Carolina Printing, where the father works. The baby was left unattended for three hours. The autopsy determined the little girl died from hyperthermia due to the extreme heat. The high temperature that day ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2014-02-11 | Winter StormDarlington County · forecast zone Darlington Snow began falling the morning of February 11th. After a lull for about 24 hours...more snow fell before ending as freezing rain the morning of February 13th. Snowfall amounts ranged from one to three and a half inches will about a tenth of an inch of ice accumulation. A man was found dead on a baseball field on ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2004-02-26 | Winter WeatherDarlington County · forecast zone Darlington A mixture of freezing rain, sleet, and snow began falling over the area around 6 am. The light precipitation quickly changed to snow showers, with occasional thunder reported. Temperatures rose well above freezing after sunrise, and the snow changed to rain by 9 am. Most of the snow accumulated on grassy surfaces, ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1961-04-12 | TornadoDarlington County | F1 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 1 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1999-09-29 | TornadoClyde, Darlington County A tornado touched down at Clyde, just west of the HB Robinson nuclear power plant, and tracked across the Pine Ridge area. The storm continued east-northeast, north of Hartsville across mostly rural areas, to near the Darlington County Jetport. There was spotty damage along a 15 mile path - 11 mobile homes were ... | F1 15 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 6 | $425K |
| 1980-05-20 | TornadoDarlington County | F2 9 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 6 | $2.5M step |
| 2016-07-07 | Thunderstorm WindDarlington County Flying debris reportedly caused damage to some windows at the Huddle House. Three people were transported to the hospital with undetermined injuries, most likely attributable to flying glass. The time was estimated based on radar data. | 56 kt wind | 0 | 3 | $6K |
| 2010-04-25 | TornadoOats, Darlington County A National Weather Service Storm Survey Team confirmed an EF2 tornado with winds estimated to 130 mph. The tornado first touched down in a stand of pine trees, snapping approximately 30 of them several feet off the ground. The largest of the snapped trees was 12 inches in diameter. The tornado then moved east into a ... | EF2 0.63 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 3 | $1.0M |
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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-04-25 | TornadoDarlington Moores Ar, Darlington County | EF2 2.99 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $8.5M |
| 2004-01-26 | Ice StormDarlington County · forecast zone Darlington | 0 | 0 | $3.9M | |
| 2004-01-25 | Ice StormDarlington County · forecast zone Darlington | 0 | 0 | $2.0M | |
| 1993-08-06 | Thunderstorm WindLamar, Darlington County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2010-04-25 | TornadoOats, Darlington County | EF2 0.63 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 3 | $1.0M |
| 2016-10-08 | Flash FloodPalmetto, Darlington County | 0 | 0 | $984K | |
| 2008-08-02 | Thunderstorm WindDoneraile, Darlington County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $699K |
| 2006-05-14 | TornadoDarlington County | F1 0.6 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 1 | $586K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 20, 1980 (tornado, Darlington County).
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 Darlington 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).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 2 | 10 | 19 | 39 | 63 | 177 | 36 |
| Hail | 0 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 56 | 22 | 16 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 25 | 2 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 13 | 10 | 4 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 11 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
54% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1956 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 28 · Feb 22 · Mar 36 · Apr 75 · May 90 · Jun 118 · Jul 123 · Aug 51 · Sep 21 · Oct 17 · Nov 8 · Dec 6 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Darlington County
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include Darlington County: 12 major disasters, 14 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (15) and tropical storm (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-23 | EM-3632 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3619 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024-08-05 | EM-3606 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Debby |
| 2023-08-31 | EM-3597 | Hurricane | Hurricane Idalia |
| 2022-11-21 | DR-4677 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2022-09-29 | EM-3585 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2020-03-27 | DR-4492 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3470 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-09-01 | EM-3421 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian |
| 2018-09-16 | DR-4394 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 2018-09-10 | EM-3400 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 2017-10-16 | DR-4346 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2017-09-07 | EM-3386 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2016-10-11 | DR-4286 | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew |
| 2016-10-06 | EM-3378 | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew |
| 2015-10-05 | DR-4241 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2015-10-03 | EM-3373 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2014-02-12 | EM-3369 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3233 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-10-07 | DR-1566 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Frances |
| 2004-02-13 | DR-1509 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Ice Storm |
| 2000-01-31 | DR-1313 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1999-09-21 | DR-1299 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations |
| 1999-09-15 | EM-3145 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Emergency Declarations |
| 1990-10-22 | DR-881 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1989-09-22 | DR-843 | Hurricane | Hurricane Hugo |
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 Darlington County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 29 flood or flash flood records for Darlington County from 2000 to 2020, on 17 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Darlington County ranks 1267th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Matthew | 2016-10-08 | 2 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.6 million on 109 claims filed in Darlington County; the most in one year was 26 in 2018. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1986: 1 · 1987: 4 · 1989: 4 · 1993: 2 · 1994: 9 · 1995: 1 · 1998: 4 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 18 · 2008: 1 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 1 · 2015: 15 · 2016: 12 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 26 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 1; the other years: 0.
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 Darlington County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Darlington County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $22.4 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.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $3.9M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $3.6M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $998K | 4.5 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 8.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $203K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.5M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $351K | 58 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $88K | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Darlington County
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 Darlington CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Darlington County's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis