South Carolina natural disasters

The state's storm and disaster record · population 5,110,387 · 46 counties and county equivalents

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 32,809 storm events in South Carolina since 1950, 28,811 of them since 1996 when every event type began to be recorded, and the Storm Prediction Center counts 1,225 tornadoes in the state since 1950. The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events (16,518). In NOAA's storm record since 1950, the deadliest storm in South Carolina is Hurricane Helene (September 27, 2024): 33 deaths and $406 million in damage in 2025 dollars across 47 records filed by several offices. FEMA has made 51 declarations for South Carolina since 1954, 49 for natural hazards; 29 were major disasters.

The record, 1950 to 2026

Storm events recorded in South Carolina 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 $1 million
$1 million or more
$10 million or more
$100 million or more, or 10 deaths
$1 billion or more, or 100 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 events recorded: 32,8091950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded: 3382,139 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars: $3.4Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes (SPC): 1,2251950 to 2025
FEMA declarations: 5129 major disasters

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); tornado count: NOAA Storm Prediction Center, 1950-2025; damage in 2025 dollars (BLS CPI-U). Search the record at NCEI.

What natural disasters happen in South Carolina?

By NOAA's records, South Carolina's most frequent hazards are severe thunderstorm wind events (16,518), hail reports (6,692), floods and flash floods (2,557); the deadliest are tornadoes (67 deaths). Each hazard is counted over the years NOAA has recorded it everywhere: tornadoes since 1950, hail and thunderstorm wind since 1955, everything else since 1996. Open a hazard for its years, months, counties and worst events.

South Carolina: records by hazard to June 30, 2026
Hazard	Records	Last 10 years	Killed	Injured	Damage	Counties
Severe thunderstorm wind	16,518	4,704	29	300	$112M	46 of 46
Hail	6,692	992	0	47	$133M	46 of 46
Floods	2,557	929	31	44	$311M	46 of 46
Winter storms	1,839	426	11	34	$142M	46 of 46
Tornadoes	1,319	313	67	1,434	$1.8B	46 of 46
High wind and dust storms	1,001	429	22	31	$34M	46 of 46
Drought	831	39	0	0	–	28 of 46
Hurricanes and tropical storms	534	288	39	14	$632M	46 of 46
Lightning	516	130	22	148	$58M	44 of 46
Heavy rain	282	79	5	27	$5.0M	40 of 46
Extreme cold	223	83	22	3	$122M	28 of 46
Heat	186	9	35	21	–	34 of 46
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds	163	11	1	19	$58K	33 of 46
Rip currents and high surf	123	47	54	16	$516K	7 of 46
Wildfires	24	8	0	1	$75M	10 of 46
Landslides and avalanches	1	0	0	0	–	1 of 46

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: every record counted once in the state; "last 10 years" is 2017-2026 (2026 to June 30, 2026).

What were the deadliest disasters in South Carolina?

The storms with the most deaths since 1950, from the National Weather Service's own entries. NOAA files one storm as several records when it crosses forecast zones and counties or changes type, and groups them under one episode; each row here is an episode, with its totals and the narrative of its deadliest record. Before 1996 tornado records carry no episode and stand alone. The narrative says what happened: some deaths the National Weather Service files under a weather type had another cause beside the weather.

South Carolina: the 10 storm episodes with the most deaths
Date	Record	Character	Killed	Injured	Damage
2024-09-27	Hurricane Helene · Tropical StormAiken County · forecast zone Aiken One named storm filed by several offices: 47 records in 2 episodes; the totals are the storm's. Tropical Storm Helene formed in the NW Caribbean Sea on September 24. Helene moved northward into the Gulf of Mexico where it strengthened into a hurricane on September 25. Helene made landfall as a major hurricane in the Big Bend area of Florida the night of September 26 before quickly moving inland into east central ...		33	0	$406M
1984-03-28	Tornadoes of the day; the deadliest, Bennettsville, killed 7 (SPC) · TornadoMarlboro County Every tornado record filed in the state that day (13, in 9 places; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's.	F4 14 mi x 700 yd	15	447	$25M step
2015-10-04	Flash FloodWoodland Terrace, Richland County One storm episode: 38 records in 8 places, 2015-10-04 to 2015-10-07; the totals are the episode's. Heavy rain in the Midlands...Pee Dee produced flash flooding in across the area. Numerous dams were breached along with numerous bridge and roadways flooded and damaged.		10	32	$118M
2020-04-13	Tornadoes of the day; the deadliest, Estill, killed 5 (SPC) · TornadoEstill Municipal Airport, Hampton County One named storm filed by several offices: 57 records in 3 episodes; the totals are the storm's. A severe quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) moved through southeast South Carolina during the early morning hours of April 13, 2020 ahead of an approaching cold front. The environment ahead of the QLCS was unusually unstable for this time of day and year, with gulf moisture spreading upper 60 F to near 70 F ...	EF4 23.73 mi x 1,300 yd	9	87	$114M
1999-08-01	HeatCharleston County · forecast zone Charleston One storm episode: 3 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. Oppressive heat and humidity gripped south coastal South Carolina resulting in many heat related fatalities. High temperatures from the mid 90s to near 105 degrees combined with dewpoints from the mid 70s to low 80s to produce heat indices ranging from 110 to 120 degrees during early August. All time record highs were ...		9	0	–
1973-03-31	Tornadoes of the day; the deadliest, Calhoun Falls to Abbeville, killed 7 (SPC) · TornadoAbbeville County Every tornado record filed in the state that day (3, in 3 places; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's.	F4 19.9 mi x 200 yd	7	30	$2.5M step
1999-07-27	HeatAbbeville County · forecast zone Abbeville One storm episode: 7 records in 5 places, 1999-07-27 to 1999-07-31; the totals are the episode's. Beginning on the 23rd of July, high temperatures eacy day reached between 95 and 105 degrees. These hot temperatures combined with high humidity contributed to the deaths of a few people during this period. A couple were found inside unairconditioned homes where the air temperature had reach 108 degrees. Others ...		7	0	–
1974-05-26	Tornadoes of the day; the deadliest, Georgetown County, killed 6 (SPC) · TornadoGeorgetown County	F1 3 mi x 300 yd	6	1	$25K step
2018-09-14	Hurricane Florence · Hurricane (Typhoon)Horry County · forecast zone Central Horry One storm episode: 11 records in 4 places, 2018-09-14 to 2018-09-16; the totals are the episode's. Hurricane Florence began its long Atlantic trek from the Cape Verde Islands in early September. It made landfall near Wrightsville Beach during the morning of September 14th. The barometric pressure at landfall was 959 millibars, or 28.32 inches.The strongest winds were recorded at 106 mph at Cape Lookout, as well as ...		6	0	$3.6M
2016-10-08	Hurricane Matthew · Tropical StormFlorence County · forecast zone Florence One storm episode: 35 records in 8 places; the totals are the episode's. Major Hurricane Matthew moved up the southeast coast and slowly weakened to a category 1 storm as it moved up along the South Carolina coast and then eastward near the North Carolina coast. The hurricane brought 6 to 12 inches of rain and up to 15 inches to some areas of northeast South Carolina, with the bulk of the ...		5	0	$295M

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 direct and indirect, as filed in this state, summed over the records of each episode (EPISODE_ID); a forecast-zone record counts the zone's deaths once. A tornado's whole-track deaths (SPC), on the state's tornado page, can be higher when the track crossed a state line. Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

The costliest records in South Carolina

South Carolina: the 8 records with the most damage since 1993, 2025 dollars
Date	Record	Character	Killed	Injured	Damage
2020-04-13	TornadoOakway, Oconee County	EF3 14.7 mi x 1,000 yd	1	5	$114M
1994-08-16	TornadoLexington County	F3 8 mi x 440 yd	0	40	$100M
2024-09-27	Tropical StormEdgefield County · forecast zone Edgefield		0	0	$86M
2016-10-08	Hurricane (Typhoon)Horry County · forecast zone Inland Horry		0	0	$82M
2017-03-16	Cold/Wind ChillAbbeville County · forecast zone Abbeville		0	0	$60M
2009-04-22	WildfireHorry County · forecast zone Horry		0	0	$55M
2024-09-27	Tropical StormAiken County · forecast zone Aiken		10	0	$53M
2000-05-25	HailFlorence County	4.50 in hail	0	2	$51M

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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 28, 1984 (tornado, Marlboro County, 7 killed); March 28, 1984 (tornado, Fairfield County, 5 killed); March 28, 1984 (tornado, Marlboro County, 2 killed); March 28, 1984 (tornado, Newberry County, 1 killed); March 28, 1984 (tornado, Laurens County).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. BLS consumer price index.

Which counties in South Carolina have the most records?

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950 attributed to each county (forecast-zone records count on every county the zone covers).

Every county in South Carolina

Billion-dollar disasters in South Carolina

NOAA counted 101 weather or climate disasters from 1980-2024 that cost at least $1 billion (adjusted for inflation) and affected South Carolina, led by severe storm (44). The most recent: Hurricane Helene (2024); Hurricane Debby (2024); Central and Eastern Tornado Outbreak and Severe Weather (2024).

South Carolina: billion-dollar disasters by type, 1980-2024
Type	Events	Total cost (NOAA's range)
Severe Storm	44	$5.0B-$10.0B
Tropical Cyclone	25	$20.0B-$50.0B
Drought	13	$2.0B-$5.0B
Winter Storm	13	$1.0B-$2.0B
Flooding	3	$2.0B-$5.0B
Freeze	3	$500M-$1.0B

Every one of the 101, newest first

Hurricane Helene2024
Hurricane Debby2024
Central and Eastern Tornado Outbreak and Severe Weather2024
Central, Southern, Southeastern Tornado Outbreak2024
Southern and Eastern Severe Weather2024
Southern Tornado Outbreak and East Coast Storm2024
Southern/Eastern/Northwestern Drought and Heat Wave2024
East Coast Storm and Flooding2023
Hurricane Idalia2023
Northeastern and Eastern Severe Weather2023
Southern Severe Weather2023
Central and Eastern Tornadoes and Hail Storms2023
Central and Eastern Winter Storm and Cold Wave2022
Hurricane Nicole2022
Hurricane Ian2022
Central Derecho2022
Southeast Tornado Outbreak2022
Tropical Storm Fred2021
Tropical Storm Elsa2021
Southern Tornadoes and Southeast Severe Weather2021
Eastern Severe Weather2021
Tropical Storm Eta2020
Hurricane Zeta2020
Hurricane Delta2020
Hurricane Sally2020
Hurricane Isaias2020
South, Central and Eastern Severe Weather2020
Central and Eastern Severe Weather2020
Southeast and Eastern Tornado Outbreak2020
South, East and Northeast Severe Weather2020
Southeast Tornadoes and Northern Storms and Flooding2020
Hurricane Dorian2019
Hurricane Michael2018
Hurricane Florence2018
Central and Eastern Tornadoes and Severe Weather2018
Southern and Eastern Tornadoes and Severe Weather2018
Southeastern Tornadoes and Severe Weather2018
Central and Eastern Winter Storm2018
Hurricane Irma2017
South and Southeast Severe Weather2017
Southeast Severe Weather and Tornadoes2017
Southeast Freeze2017
Central/Southeast Tornado Outbreak2017
Southern Tornado Outbreak and Western Storms2017
Hurricane Matthew2016
Southeast and Eastern Tornadoes2016
West/Northeast/Southeast Drought2016
South Carolina and East Coast Flooding2015
Texas and Oklahoma Flooding and Severe Weather2015
South/Southeast Severe Weather2015
Central and Eastern Winter storm, Cold Wave2015
Rockies/Midwest/Eastern Severe Weather2014
Midwest/Southeast/Northeast Winter Storm2014
Plains/East/Northeast Derecho2012
Midwest/Southeast Tornadoes and Severe Weather2011
Midwest/Southeast Tornadoes2011
Southeast/Midwest Tornadoes2011
Midwest/Southeast Tornadoes and Derecho2011
Southern Plains/Southwest Drought and Heat Wave2011
Rockies/Central/East Severe Weather2010
Midwest, South and East Severe Weather2009
South/Southeast Severe Weather and Tornadoes2009
Southeast Tornadoes2008
U.S. Drought2008
Western/Eastern Drought/Heat Wave2007
East/South Severe Weather and Flooding2007
Spring Freeze2007
Hurricane Jeanne2004
Hurricane Frances2004
Hurricane Charley2004
Southern Derecho and Eastern Severe Weather2003
Severe Storms/Tornadoes2003
U.S. Drought2002
Western/Central/Southeast Drought/Heat Wave2000
Southeast Winter Storm2000
Hurricane Floyd1999
Eastern Drought/Heat Wave1999
Oklahoma and Kansas Tornadoes1999
Central and Eastern Winter Storm1999
Hurricane Bonnie1998
Southern Drought and Heat Wave1998
Western/Eastern Severe Weather and Flooding1997
Hurricane Fran1996
Blizzard/Floods1996
Hurricane Opal1995
Southeast Ice Storm1994
Winter Storm, Cold Wave1994
Southeast Drought and Heat Wave1993
East Coast Blizzard and Severe Weather1993
Severe Storms, Tornadoes1991
Winter Storm, Cold Wave1989
Hurricane Hugo1989
Southern Derecho and Severe Storms1989
Southeast Drought/Heat Wave1986
Winter Storm, Cold Wave1985
Tornadoes, Severe Storms, Floods1984
Freeze/Cold Wave1983
Southeast Drought1983
Severe Storms1982
Midwest/Southeast/Northeast Winter Storm, Cold Wave1982
Central/Eastern Drought/Heat Wave1980

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters, state summary for South Carolina, 1980-2024 (NCEI's last update; the product is archived). A disaster that affected several states counts in each. NCEI billion-dollar disasters.

Federal disaster declarations in South Carolina

FEMA has made 51 declarations for South Carolina since 1954: 29 major disasters, 15 emergencies and 7 fire management assistance declarations. The most common incident types are hurricane (21), fire (7), severe storm (5).

1950s 2
1970s 1
1980s 2
1990s 5
2000s 11
2010s 13
2020s 17

The 15 most recent declarations in South Carolina
Declared	Number	Type	Title	Areas named
2026-04-07	DR-4908	Winter Storm	Severe Winter Storm	3
2026-01-23	EM-3632	Winter Storm	Severe Winter Storm	47
2025-03-23	FM-5576	Fire	Table Rock Fire Complex	2
2025-03-23	FM-5575	Fire	Table Rock Fire	1
2025-03-07	FM-5554	Fire	Covington Drive Fire	1
2025-01-10	DR-4858	Flood	Severe Storms and Flooding	3
2024-09-29	DR-4835	Tropical Storm	Tropical Storm Debby	14
2024-09-29	DR-4829	Hurricane	Hurricane Helene	34
2024-09-26	EM-3619	Tropical Storm	Hurricane Helene	46
2024-08-05	EM-3606	Tropical Storm	Hurricane Debby	46
2023-08-31	EM-3597	Hurricane	Hurricane Idalia	46
2022-11-21	DR-4677	Hurricane	Hurricane Ian	46
2022-09-29	EM-3585	Hurricane	Hurricane Ian	46
2020-05-01	DR-4542	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds	10
2020-03-27	DR-4492	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	47

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.

Flood insurance claims in South Carolina

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.0 billion on 49,301 claims in 46 South Carolina counties. Claims count insured losses only.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.

FEMA's modeled risk across South Carolina's counties

How FEMA's National Risk Index rates South Carolina's counties overall: a model of expected future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of events.

Relatively High 4
Relatively Moderate 16
Relatively Low 19
Very Low 7

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