Sumter County, South Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 45085 · population 105,493 · 665 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 703 records for Sumter County, South Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 397 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (426 records). The deadliest single record is the April 15, 2007 tornado: 1 death and 5 injuries. FEMA has issued 28 declarations naming the county since 1977, 26 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
- 703on 397 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 320 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $19Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 28strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 28latest 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 Sumter County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 426 since 1960. 51% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1960 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 | 426 | 268 | 1960-2026 | 1 | 2 | $2.5M | 12 of 46 |
| Hail | 138 | 97 | 1956-2024 | 0 | 9 | $900K | 15 of 46 |
| Floods | 34 | 16 | 2001-2025 | 0 | 0 | $148K | 29 of 46 |
| Winter storms | 31 | 24 | 2002-2026 | 0 | 1 | – | 27 of 46 |
| Tornadoes | 28 | 23 | 1962-2024 | 1 | 8 | $10M | 24 of 46 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 16 | 9 | 2004-2024 | 0 | 0 | $894K | 11 of 46 |
| High wind and dust storms | 12 | 10 | 2008-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | 26 of 46 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 6 | 2017-2025 | 0 | 0 | $241 | 14 of 46 |
| Lightning | 7 | 7 | 1997-2023 | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | 23 of 46 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2025-2025 | 1 | 0 | – | 31 of 46 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2016-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 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 Sumter County had?
NOAA records 28 tornadoes in Sumter County from 1962 to 2024, the strongest rated EF3, with 1 death and 8 injuries recorded in the county. 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 Sumter 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-04-15 06:20, as SPC files it | Sumter | EF3 | 19.04 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in South Carolina.
Every tornado record filed for Sumter County (28)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-27 | Stateburg, Sumter County | EF0 4.56 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | $42K |
| 2020-09-17 | Britton, Sumter County | EF0 5.88 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-09-17 | Pinewood, Sumter County | EF0 6.26 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-09-17 | Pinewood, Sumter County | EFU 2.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-09-17 | Pinewood, Sumter County | EFU 2.15 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-02-24 | Pinewood, Sumter County | EF0 4.77 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2011-04-28 | Privateer, Sumter County | EF1 10.75 mi x 220 yd | 0 | 0 | $63K |
| 2011-04-28 | Shiloh, Sumter County | EF0 1.65 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2010-07-12 | Claremont, Sumter County | EF1 2.6 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $108K |
| 2010-07-11 | Dubose, Sumter County | EF0 4.22 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2008-11-14 | Pinewood, Sumter County | EF0 3.47 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $21K |
| 2007-04-15 | Pinewood, Sumter County | EF3 19.04 mi x 300 yd | 1 | 5 | – |
| 2004-12-10 | Sumter County | F0 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-09-07 | Shaw Afb, Sumter County | F1 3 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-09-07 | Sumter County | F2 4 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.7M |
| 2000-03-16 | Rembert, Sumter County | F0 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-06 | Rembert, Sumter County | F0 0.3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 1998-05-10 | Pinewood, Sumter County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-09-16 | Sumter County | F2 1.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $141K |
| 1993-05-19 | Runnymeade Area, Sumter County | F0 150 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1989-09-22 | Sumter County | F1 1.2 mi x 183 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1985-11-29 | Sumter County | F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1979-07-21 | Sumter County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1971-09-12 | Sumter County | F1 1 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1967-05-15 | Sumter County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-06-18 | Sumter County | F1 2 mi x 133 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1963-09-29 | Sumter County | F2 5.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1962-07-25 | Sumter County | F0 0.5 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Sumter County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 21, 2025 excessive heat (1 death).
Sumter County coroner confirmed a 61 yr old man died from a heat stroke while umpiring a softball game at Patriot Park in Sumter. Nearby maximum air temperature was around 93 degrees Fahrenheit but field temperatures were unknown.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1261246)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindSumter County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindHoratio, Sumter County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindDalzell, Sumter County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-01 | Heavy SnowSumter County · forecast zone Sumter | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Heavy SnowSumter County · forecast zone Sumter | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Ice StormSumter County · forecast zone Sumter | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Ice StormSumter County · forecast zone Sumter | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-12 | Thunderstorm WindQuints Xrds, Sumter County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-04 | Thunderstorm WindPinckney Xrds, Sumter County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-04 | Thunderstorm WindSumter County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindPrivateer, Sumter County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-21 | Excessive HeatSumter County · forecast zone Sumter | 1 | 0 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-04-15 | TornadoPinewood, Sumter County An EF3 tornado traveled from southwest to northeast of Sumter destroying a seven mobile homes, severely damaging nine framed homes, and doing light to moderate damage to an additional 62 mobile and framed homes. There was 1 fatality and 3 injuries. The tornado touched down as an EF1 and ended as an EF3 where the ... | EF3 19.04 mi x 300 yd | 1 | 5 | – |
| 1991-05-05 | Thunderstorm WindSumter County | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-06-21 | Excessive HeatSumter County · forecast zone Sumter Sumter County coroner confirmed a 61 yr old man died from a heat stroke while umpiring a softball game at Patriot Park in Sumter. Nearby maximum air temperature was around 93 degrees Fahrenheit but field temperatures were unknown. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2006-06-04 | HailSumter County Walters Care Facility reported penny size hail and strong winds with small limbs down. | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 9 | – |
| 2004-09-07 | TornadoSumter County Emergency manager reported 55 homes damaged, 9 destroyed, and 3 injuries. | F2 4 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.7M |
| 2014-01-28 | Winter StormSumter County · forecast zone Sumter A winter storm produced freezing rain, sleet, and snow across Sumter County causing hazardous traveling conditions. Freezing rain accumulations were around 1/4 of an inch with snow/sleet accumulations from 1 to 3 inches across the county. There was one injury when a person slipped and fell down from ice on the walkway. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1992-03-19 | Thunderstorm WindSumter County | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-09-07 | TornadoSumter County | F2 4 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.7M |
| 2016-10-08 | High WindSumter County · forecast zone Sumter | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 2012-08-01 | LightningShiloh, Sumter County | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | |
| 1999-09-15 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Sumter County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2024-09-27 | Tropical StormSumter County · forecast zone Sumter | 0 | 0 | $894K | |
| 1997-07-15 | LightningSumter County | 0 | 0 | $414K | |
| 2011-04-09 | HailShaw Afb Sumter, Sumter County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $157K |
| 1996-09-16 | TornadoSumter County | F2 1.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $141K |
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: September 22, 1989 (tornado, Sumter 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 Sumter 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 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 33 | 51 | 75 | 165 | 90 |
| Hail | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 54 | 44 | 11 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 3 | 14 | 17 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 7 | 15 | 9 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 11 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
51% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1960 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 35 · Feb 19 · Mar 57 · Apr 65 · May 91 · Jun 174 · Jul 114 · Aug 66 · Sep 52 · Oct 9 · Nov 11 · Dec 10 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Sumter County
FEMA's register lists 28 declarations that include Sumter County: 13 major disasters, 15 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (15) and severe ice storm (3).
| 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 |
| 2014-03-12 | DR-4166 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 1977-08-04 | EM-3047 | Drought | Drought |
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 Sumter County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 34 flood or flash flood records for Sumter County from 2001 to 2025, on 16 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Sumter County ranks 757th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | 2024-09-27 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $7.7 million on 292 claims filed in Sumter County; the most in one year was 178 in 2015. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 2 · 1980: 1 · 1981: 2 · 1983: 1 · 1987: 1 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 10 · 1990: 2 · 1993: 1 · 1994: 5 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 2 · 1999: 1 · 2000: 1 · 2002: 1 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2015: 178 · 2016: 20 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 12 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 33 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 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 Sumter County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sumter County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $40.7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $1.7M | 5.3 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $451K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $9.8M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $5.6M | once in about 281 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $997K | 3.7 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | 4.7 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $612K | 60 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $15M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Sumter 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 Sumter CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Sumter County's FEMA declarations (CSV)28 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis